


Balance

by Crosshairs



Series: Starks and Irons [4]
Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Black Panther (2018), Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, BAMF Tony Stark, Blood and Violence, Civil War Team Iron Man, Compliant up to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Gems, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Odin Friendly, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Partly Black Panther compliant, Partly Thor: Ragnarok compliant, Post-Black Panther (2018), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Prophecies, Sokovia Accords Committee (OCs), life and death, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2019-06-07 08:28:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 93,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15215117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crosshairs/pseuds/Crosshairs
Summary: Three years ago, a Civil War split the Avengers in half. At the end of the ordeal, trust was gone, and the Avengers were broken, seemingly damaged beyond repair. But Tony once again managed to do what he does best: he took what little was left of the team that Steve Rogers had destroyed and turned them into something much better than before.Now, the Avengers are stronger than ever. Tony has made new friends along the way, and he even managed to build himself a family. Things are good.But the peace was bound to end. A new threat looms over the entire Universe, and nobody is ready to face it.





	1. True Power

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Here is the long awaited (?) sequel to Tony's Girl, finally leaving the Civil War behind and throwing us all in the Infinity War story arc. While I will heavily reference the movie, several major details will be different, and that will hopefully make for some interesting plot twists.
> 
> If you haven't read Tony's Girl, you might want to go back and read that story first, or you won't understand half of what's happening XD.
> 
> SO, without further ado, let's get started! Hope you enjoy the ride - and stick with me for it, because it's shaping up to be a very long, and very plot-thick story.

"No..." Loki murmured, his eyes blown wide. He was pale and sweating and he didn't even register the confused and worried look Thor sent his way, "It can't be..." he said. It came out like a whisper, his voice never making it out of his mouth. He was shaking in fear, unable to tear his eyes away from the humongous space battleship that had just appeared in front of them.

_It's him..._

"Brother, wha-"

Thor's worried question was cut off by a giant explosion as the battleship opened fire on them and struck the defenceless Statesman. The blow quaked the entire craft, punching a hole in the right side of the hull that sucked out at least a dozen people.

Thor screamed in denial as he ran to the closest porthole, unable to do anything but watch his people being sucked in the vacuum of space. Loki barely registered his actions, absolutely transfixed as he looked out of another porthole and saw the poor victims wiggle for a few seconds before the life finally left them.

Then, the gigantic spaceship opened fire again. This time the lights in the Sakaaran vessel flickered for a long moment. When they turned back on, absolute chaos had taken over the ship.

The second blow had also knocked both Loki and Thor off their feet. Thor was the one who recovered the fastest: "Loki! Get up, we need to go!" he shouted, reaching his adoptive brother and trying to pull him up.

But Loki didn't even hear him. He was petrified.

"No... How did he find me?" he whispered.

"Loki, what are you talking about!? Loki!" Thor shouted again. Then another blow came.

This time, it hit really close to the room Thor and Loki were in. A crack opened in the outer hull of the ship, starting to suck out air. It was only thanks to his Asgardian physiology that Thor was able to grab the still unresponsive Loki and all but drag him out of the room.

They reached the command bridge. Heimdall and Brunnhilde were there.

"What's going on!? Who are these people!? Why are they attacking us!?" the Valkyrie yelled. She was trying to appear as calm as she could, but apparently she was almost overwhelmed herself by the sudden attack. Especially so soon after Hela.

It had been only three months since the Goddess of Death had resurfaced and sieged Asgard. They had managed to defeat her, but at a terrible cost.

And now, this. Or, more accurately... _Him._

_No... Not now, no... Not after everything that's happened..._

"We can't return fire, we don't have any weapon!" he heard Brunnhilde say.

"Can we run away?" Thor asked then.

"The engines are damaged," Valkyrie answered, almost shouting, "and even if they weren't, this ship is slower than a snail! We will never be able to outrun them!"

It was true. The Statesman was a big ship, but it was painfully slow. Three months of deep-space navigation - three months since the destruction of Asgard - and they had made it barely more than halfway to Earth.

 _We cannot fight... We cannot flee... We're doomed..._ Loki thought. He was still looking around frantically. People were running in all directions like headless chickens.

"Send out a distress call!" Thor ordered, "the ship won't hold much longer!"

Heimdall nodded gravely and relayed the order to one of the Sakaaran gladiators. Thor and Valkyrie exchanged a look that Loki knew all too well.

That determined, stubborn, _stupid_ look Thor always had before a battle he couldn't possibly hope to win. He had it on Jotunheim, in front of all of Laufey's forces. He had it on Svartalfheim, against Malekith, Kurse and the Aether. He had it on Midgard, in front of their sister. And he had it now.

"Everybody, prepare to fight-"

"Brother, stop!" Loki interrupted him.

Thor turned to look at him with an even stupider expression etching his features: "Brother-"

"He wants me," Loki said.

Thor couldn't answer. It was Brunnhilde who spoke: "Who? Who is it!?"

Loki was scared to even utter his name: "Thanos..."

The name earned him a look of disbelief from Valkyrie and one of confusion from Thor. Brunnhilde's expression then morphed into one of rage and betrayal. She grabbed Loki by the neck and slammed him against the back wall: "The Mad Titan!? What business do you have with him!?"

Loki looked at Thor, who was still too stunned to do anything: "I failed him... Years ago he sent me on Midgard to retrieve something he needed, but I was thwarted..." he said, trying to speak around Brunnhilde's hand crushing his windpipe.

Thor's eyebrows rose in realization.

"Yes, brother," Loki confirmed what Thor had just realized, "he found me when I fell into the void... He gave me the scepter, sent me after the Tesseract... It's me he's after, I failed him years ago and now he comes to exact his vengeance... Thor, he is the most powerful being in the universe... The scepter held an Infinity Stone, but he had another one in his possession... we don't stand a chance against him..."

Valkyrie jerkily let him go. Thor's expression hardened again: "We'll see about that," he growled.

"Thor, for once in your life, listen to me!" Loki pleaded.

"We've taken down Hela," Thor replied stubbornly, "We can-"

"We _didn't_ take down Hela! _Surtur_ took down Hela! We barely escaped with our lives!"

This time, even Valkyrie was stunned. She clearly wasn't expecting Loki's outburst.

He went on: "We saved all these people as a being much more powerful than us defeated our sister," he said, motioning to the various Asgardians that were running aimlessly around the ship, "and now they are all dying, _again,_ because of me! Do you plan to take on another being like that right here, on a damaged spaceship full of what little is left of Asgard?" he asked.

A long moment of silence passed between them. Loki could only distantly hear the voice of one of the Sakaaran gladiators speaking over the radio, requesting for help.

Thor's confidence was starting to waver. In that moment, yet another shot from the massive battleship rocked the Statesman. The Hulk arrived on the bridge in that moment, roaring like an angered wild beast.

"My King," Heimdall spoke. Loki hadn't even noticed him coming back, "we have to protect the people..."

Thor lowered his head in defeat. Korg's voice came next from the control panel: "We're about to be boarded!" he exclaimed.

The Hulk growled menacingly.

"I know, right?" Korg said, as if answering the Hulk's growl, "We finally get away from Sakaar and we get attacked by space pirates! Someone is jinxing us!"

Thor clenched his fists. He took two deep breaths before turning to Valkyrie: "Take everybody to the escape pods," he ordered, "I'll try to buy you as much time as I can."

Valkyrie nodded and left. The Hulk moved to go with Thor, but Loki stepped in front of him.

"I know you don't like me, much less trust me," Loki said, raising his hands placatingly when the Hulk growled at him, "but the element of surprise is all we've got, wouldn't you agree?"

The Hulk was not a mindless beast, that much had become obvious to Loki back on Midgard. While he wasn't Banner, he was still a person with a brain, and the best way to get through to him was to treat him as such. Now the Hulk still appeared wary, but he still hadn't smashed Loki repeatedly into the floor. Loki counted it as a win, and lowered his hands:

"I need your help."

***

He had failed.

His people were lying on the floor, mercilessly slaughtered. He had failed them all.

For some reason, the mysterious battleship had held fire as they had started the evacuation. For a moment, Thor allowed himself to believe that maybe it was true that this Thanos only wanted Loki.

They had managed to launch a few escape pods, but then, when the evacuation of the Statesman was about halfway done, another shot from the attacking spaceship had torn their vessel clean in half. Valkyrie had shouted for them, but her scream didn't reach Thor's ears as the last escape pod flew off with her, Korg and Miek on board.

Why had they resumed firing? Why let half of his people escape?

Thor hadn't even thought about it right then and there. The aft portion of the Statesman drifted off behind him before exploding, killing all the people left in that side of the ship. Thor only looked at the explosion for a few seconds before running back towards the bow and preparing to fight.

He never stood a chance.

"Hear me, and rejoice," Thor heard someone say as he tried his best to get back on his feet. He looked to his left and saw Heimdall in much the same predicament.

The whole floor was littered with the corpses of the Asgardians.

"You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan," the voice continued. Thor looked in the direction it was coming from, and saw a wiry, creepy-looking alien walk around the ship, carefully avoiding to step over the corpses. "You may think this is suffering," the alien went on, "No. It is salvation. Universal scale tipped towards the balance, because of your sacrifice. Smile, for even in death, you have become children of Thanos."

Then the alien turned to another approaching figure. The same who had just beaten him to a pulp like he was nothing.

The Mad Titan.

Thanos.

The subordinate was tall, about eight feet. But the master, he was enormous. His size was comperable to that of the Hulk. He was clad in a golden armour and on his left hand, he wore a gauntlet with a gem on its index knuckle. A gem that glowed a sinister orange.

An Infinity Stone.

"I know what it's like to lose," the titan, Thanos, started. His voice was deep and hoarse, sending chills down Thor's spine, "To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless." As he spoke, Thanos was moving towards Thor. The God of Thunder was trying with all his might to get up and fight, but it was no use. He had no more fight left in him.

Thanos stopped right before him and crouched in front of Thor's prostrated figure, giving him a nasty smile: "Just like you felt when you first met your sister," he whispered to him.

Thor's eyes bulged. Thanos knew of Hela? How?

"I ask you, to what end?" the Titan continued, grabbing Thor by the collar of his body armour and hauling him up, "Dread it, run from it... Destiny arrives all the same. And now, it's here," he said, turning Thor like a ragdoll and forcing him on his knees, "Or should I say... I am."

"You talk too much..." Thor growled in a strained voice.

Then four more figures appeared. No doubt, more of Thanos' underlings.

Two of them were women, one tall and thin like the creepy guy who had spoken earlier and the other shorter and more muscular. The tall one had blue skin and was wearing a form-fitting black and white suit with a hood, the other had horns and blue hair and wielded a staff as a weapon. Then there were two men who couldn't look more different from one another: one was reptilian in appearance, with scaly brown skin and sharp fangs for teeth, and was almost as bulky as Thanos, while the other was thin and looked almost sick, with a hunched back and pale complexion. He was all dressed in black, with a hooded tunic, and carried a dangerous looking glaive.

Loki was standing between them, the four aliens were standing guard over him, almost as if they were holding him hostage, circling him like predators.

"You owe me something, Asgardian," the Titan sneered, addressing Loki.

"We don't have the Tesseract," Thor tried to reason with them, "It was destroyed on Asgard..."

"Foolish man," one of the women scoffed, "The only thing that was destroyed on Asgard was Asgard itself..."

"Indeed," The Titan replied. He then leaned down so he could speak right in Thor's ear: "and seeing what happened after the destruction of Asgard, handing me the Tesseract would be a nice way of showing your gratitude for my services..."

"What are you talking about?" Heimdall rasped from his position between Loki and Thor, "What services?"

"The Great Thanos has slain the demon who laid waste of your homeland," the creepy alien who had spoken first said, "Surtur, was it?"

Loki's eyes bulged as he and Thor exchanged a look: "You are lying! Surtur died in the explosion!"

Thor's mind was racing. Of course Surtur had died in the explosion! There was no way anybody could have survived that...

...Was there?

"You honestly believe he would have caused an explosion that would kill him as well?" the other woman laughed, "No. The Fire Demon survived the destruction of Asgard. And then, he went on to lay waste of planet after planet until the great Thanos stopped him. Eight worlds succumbed to his fury."

Even if he was already kneeling, Thor felt his legs grow weak.

Surtur had survived. They had used him, hoping he would be sated with the destruction of Asgard and allowing himself to finally die after fulfilling the prophecy of Ragnarok... taking only Hela with him.

Instead, they had unleashed a tremendous evil upon the universe. If these aliens spoke the truth, eight planets had paid the ultimate price for the salvation of Asgard.

_No... What have we done?_

Loki spoke next: "And why would you stop Surtur, then?" he asked, "Why would you care about him? For all his power, you wield an Infinity Stone. Surtur was nothing in front of you..."

It didn't really matter why. But Thor knew what Loki was doing: stalling, biding his time, making Thanos talk while they looked for a way out. But when Thanos answered, Thor was left puzzled: "Oh, I had a reason," the titan said, "and for that same reason, I should slaughter every single one of your people instead of letting half of Asgard live. But I am making an effort to be fair, even to those who don't deserve it. Even to those who hurt the people I love..."

Thor didn't understand. What was he talking about? What people he loves? Who did they hurt that provoked his wrath?

"But enough about me. Vengeance is not why I'm here," Thanos continued, grabbing Thor's head. It actually fit, in his enormous right hand: "The Tesseract," the titan demanded turning to Loki, "or your brother's head. I assume you have a preference?"

Loki gave him a grave look: "Oh, I do," he sneered, "Kill away."

Thanos immediately moved to oblige him. He brought his left hand closer to Thor's temple. Thor tried to struggle, but the titan's other hand was holding him in place.

When the Stone touched his head, Thor screamed. Never in his life had he felt such pain.

He had felt the power of the Mind Stone, indirectly, when the young witch had warped his mind during Ultron. He had also felt the touch of the Aether in his final duel against Malekith. But this... this was completely different. It felt as if his very life was being sucked out of his body. It was bloodcurdling.

 _The Soul Stone,_ his mind supplied frantically. It was literally tearing his soul apart.

He was completely, utterly helpless. All he could do was scream.

After what felt like an interminable amount of time being tortured like that, Loki's pleas put an end to his suffering: "All right, stop!"

Thor could barely breathe as Thanos stopped torturing him. Loki had a guilty and defeated expression as he raised a hand and the Tesseract appeared in it.

Thor's eyes bulged at the sight. _No... Why did you take it? You betrayed me again!_

"You really are the worst, brother," he sneered in the most condescending tone he could manage.

"I assure you, brother. The sun will shine on us again," Loki replied, probably hoping to be encouraging. Or did he have a plan?

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian," Thanos scoffed as he snatched the Tesseract from Loki's hand.

That was when Thor saw it. The little smile on Loki's face. Yes, his brother had a plan.

"Well, for one thing, I'm not Asgardian," Loki replied, narrowing his eyes, "and for another... we have a Hulk."

Right on cue, the green giant attacked. Thanos was tackled to the ground as the Hulk started pummeling him with a barrage of blows. He was gaining the upper hand.

 _Yes!_ Thor inwardly cheered when the Tesseract fell from the Titan's hands on the floor. Loki immediately jumped to try and grab it, but he stopped short as one of Thanos' minions, the muscular woman, pointed her staff at his throat. Slowly, Loki stood, lifting his hands as the woman sneered.

Seeing their master in trouble, the bulky, reptilian alien made to move to his aid, but one of his compatriots stopped him: "Let him have his fun," he said, making a gesture with his hand. The other complied.

And in that moment, it became clear that Thanos was indeed having fun. Just as the Hulk threw him against a wall, he retaliated with a tremendous punch that sent the Hulk staggering backwards. Thanos didn't stop, matching every blow his opponent threw at him and responding with one of his own. In a few moments, the Hulk was on the ground.

_No... No, no..._

Thanos was moving in for the kill, but all of a sudden the Hulk was engulfed in a familiar light. _The power of the Bifrost,_ Thor guessed, turning to Heimdall and seeing he was clutching his sword.

The Hulk disappeared in a burst of light.

Thanos didn't even budge. He stepped closer to his allies, and the hooded man handed him his glaive. He then moved closer to Heimdall.

"That was a mistake," he seethed, ruthlessly impaling Heimdall through the heart.

"NOOO!" Thor shouted, moving to attack Thanos again. He didn't even make it halfway.

Another of Thanos's minions, the first who had spoken, made a gesture with his hand. Wreckage from the ship flew up to Thor, forcing him back on his knees and binding him in place. Thor tried to shout again, but another piece of metal wrapped around his mouth, gagging him and muffling his scream.

The alien looked at him mockingly, even going as far as to shush him. _I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you all!_

The alien didn't even look at him anymore. Turning to Thanos, he kneeled in submission: "My humble personage bows before your grandeur," he said as Thanos retrieved the Tesseract, "No other being has ever had the might - nay, the nobility, to wield not one, but _two_ Infinity Stones."

Thanos crushed the Tesseract in his hand. When he opened it, the Space Stone was sitting in his palm. He slowly raised it towards the gauntlet on his other hand and slotted it in the hole on his middle knuckle.

"The Universe lies within your grasp," his lackey finished.

Thor could only look in dismay as Thanos observed the two Stones on his gauntlet with a satisfied expression: "There are two more Stones on Earth," he said, "Find them, my children, and bring them to me," he ordered.

The blue-skinned woman bowed to him: "Father, we will not fail you."

"If I might interject," Loki spoke then. Thor turned to him and saw him smile amicably at Thanos, while slowly pushing away the other woman's staff with his finger, "if you're going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena..."

 _Yet another ploy, brother?_ Thor thought, not without a hint of distaste. Anger, even.

"If you consider failure experience," Thanos derided him.

"I consider _experience,_ experience," Loki retorted pragmatically, before stepping forward: "Almighty Thanos. I, Loki, Prince of Asgard... Odin son," he added gravely, looking at Thor before addressing Thanos again, "The rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief... Do hereby pledge to you, my undying fidelity."

Even as he was saying that, it was clear that Thanos was seeing right through him. When Loki tried to attack, swinging a dagger at the Titan's throat, Thanos immediately blocked his arm with the power of the Space Stone, holding Loki firmly in place.

"'Undying'? You should choose your words more carefully," Thanos sneered, grabbing Loki's extended forearm and crushing it viciously. Loki let out a pained scream as his bones snapped and shattered, but the Space Stone stopped him from even trying to wiggle out to the titan's grasp.

"You... will never be a God," Loki seethed defiantly.

Thanos smiled a demented smile, moving closer to Loki's face: "You think so?" he asked. Loki just growled.

"Allow me to show you how wrong you are," Thanos said, lifting Loki with the Space Stone and hurling him against the wall with enough force that his body punched a hole in the Statesman's hull and flew out in space.

As the air started gushing out, the bindings holding Thor in place were released. This time, the king of Asgard was too weakened to fight the force of the vacuum sucking him out of the ship. Before he lost consciousness, he saw Thanos and his minions be teleported away from the destroyed Sakaaran ship by a tractor beam of their giant battleship. Because of his missing right eye, Loki was now in his blind spot, but Thor managed to turn towards him. As he did, he saw he was being beamed aboard the battleship too.

_No... Loki..._

He only managed to stretch out an arm towards his brother as he was being pulled away from him, before he finally lost consciousness.

***

The Q-Ships were dropping from the Sanctuary II in that precise moment.

The entire Black Order was heading for Earth. Thanos was sure that Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight and Supergiant were going to succeed where the little insect kneeling before him had failed.

Loki was cradling his broken arm against his chest as Thanos looked down on him by his throne. He made for a rather pitiful sight.

"I suspected that you wouldn't just kill me," the little prince said.

Thanos leaned back in his chair: "Why would you suspect that? Whether you live or die, it is irrelevant to me. You are just one amongst billions. Our previous interactions are not enough to set you apart."

"Then why am I here?" Loki asked.

Thanos scoffed slightly: "I believe you'll make a fine gift."

"Gift?" Loki parroted.

Irrelevant insect. He would never see the full picture. How could he?

"Take him to the dungeons," Thanos ordered, ending the pointless conversation. Six Chitauri immediately moved forward. Loki didn't even try to defend himself.

As the Chitauri manhandled him out of the room, Loki seemed to have recovered some of his courage: "You won't win, Titan!" he shouted. Thanos didn't even acknowledge him, looking instead at the two gems on his gauntlet. The orange one in particular: the Soul Stone.

It had been in his possession for eons by now, and any kind of retribution was yet to come. That guardian was probably just babbling nonsense. Yet Thanos couldn't be sure, and it unsettled him. He couldn't know if that day long past, he hadn't made a mistake.

The Stone was concealed on Vormir, a planet in a distant region of the universe that was believed to be completely uninhabitable, protected by twelve guardians. They had said the Stone required a sacrifice. Thanos had been more than happy to sacrifice the Stonekeepers' lives. All of them.

As he was slaughtering the last of the stonekeepers, he had heard a strained noise behind him. He turned.

One of the stonekeepers was still alive.

Thanos approached him warily. The stonekeeper wasn't trying to get up or to fight. He was _laughing._

Purple blood was trickling down his mouth, as he spoke: "You believe yourself unstoppable... What a mad titan you are..." he said.

"It would appear that I _am_ unstoppable." Thanos argued. The guardian nodded weakly and slowly.

"Yes," he replied, "we couldn't stop you. We couldn't keep you from taking the Soul Stone. Then again, it wasn't our purpose..."

Thanos cocked an eyebrow: It wasn't their purpose?

"I see it now," the guardan had continued, "Your demise... The time will come, Titan... The Soul Stone will get its due..." he cut himself off, coughing up blood. Thanos leaned down to him as it appeared he still had something to say.

"Mark my words, titan... A sword of darkness, and a spear of pure light... Life and Death, finally brought together..." The guardian coughed up more blood before continuing: "It seems you will indeed bring balance to the universe, after all..."

Thanos scoffed: "Of that, you can be sure," he said, stepping on the guardian's head and crushing his skull with his foot.

Just as he did that, an orange light appeared behind him. Thanos turned, and the Soul Stone was there, floating mid-air a few feet away.

Thanos smiled. One down, five to go.

Now, after all that time, Thanos was eyeing the Stone warily. Things had finally been set in motion; he needed to collect the other Stones and complete his mission.

The Soul Stone was the most important, however. It was the Soul Stone that had the power to erase all that redundant life. The other stones would simply give it the power it needed to reach out throughout the entire universe.

It was fascinatingly lethal. Just like _her._

And that guardian... He had said it would get its due. He had talked about Life and Death brought together... And what did he mean with 'a sword of darkness and a spear of light' ?

"Nonsense," Thanos muttered dismissively.

***

Stephen heard Wanda's screams immediately after the massive crash noise. He couldn't refrain from rolling his eyes.

_Goddammit. What the hell has she done now?_

He ran in the direction of the noise, and when he arrived, he was left completely stunned. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't _this._

The Hulk, the unmistakeable green giant, emerged wearily from the crater he had created in the middle of the stairs. _What? Where did he come from?_

He looked up, and saw a correspondent hole in the roof of the room. The Hulk had fallen from the sky.

Maximoff's screams brought him back to the situation at hand. She was begging the Hulk to leave her alone. Stephen knew there was a story there, but now it didn't look like it was gonna be a problem.

Hulk was slowly shrinking down and losing color. In a few moments, Bruce Banner had taken his place. And he looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

"He's coming..." he whispered, his voice haunted, "Thanos is coming..."

Stephen's eyebrows scrunched together: "Who?"


	2. Initial Approach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce arrives on Earth, but Thanos' forces aren't far behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! This is an explanatory (read: boring) chapter, but I feel it's a pretty important one. But don't worry, the action will begin very soon ;-).
> 
> Also... Tony is in this chapter!
> 
> (and BTW, yes, Loki lives. For now. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? XD).

Calming down Dr. Banner proved to be a lot more difficult than Stephen and Wong had expected. They had thought, seeing him wind down from the Hulk, that he would be somewhat calm already, instead he turned out to be anything but.

"We need to call the Avengers!" Banner exclaimed in an anguished voice, "We need the Avengers, now!"

"Doctor Banner, you need to calm down and explain the situation," Wong, ever the practical man, said.

Strange was quick to back him up: "Yeah. You said you were on Asgard. How the hell did you end up on Asgard?" he wanted to know.

At that question, Banner looked at them with wild eyes, then he took a deep breath and finally seemed to calm down slightly: "I've been on Asgard for maybe an hour before a giant monster made of fire blew it to hell..." he said, his face scrunching in something that resembled distaste.

Strange immediately made the connection: _Surtur. So Colonel Danvers' report to the Accords Committee was correct..._

On his watchlist of beings that could pose a threat to Earth, the King of Muspelheim was very high up. The Fire Demon resurfacing after millennia of inactivity was more than a little worrying.

"Before that, I spent four years as the Hulk on a planet called Sakaar. Quite possibly the biggest shithole in the universe," Banner continued, looking at a spot past Stephen and Wong, "Because of her," he seethed.

The two sorcerers turned around to where Banner was staring. Wanda was standing at the door, half hiding behind the doorframe, fidgeting with her hands and looking like a kid caught stealing the biscuits.

Stephen took an exhasperated breath: "Didn't I tell you to go to your room and wait there until we figured this out?" he scolded, addressing the witch.

The girl looked down: "I... I don't want to run away from my mistakes anymore. I want to... I would like to try and explain myself to Dr. Banner," she said meekly.

"Oh? You want to explain!?" Banner retorted hotly, making Stephen turn back to him, "Alright then! Explain why you unleashed the Hulk in the biggest city in South Africa, without giving a single fuck about the eight million people who lived there and who had nothing to do with your personal vendetta against the Avengers! Explain why you messed with my mind, with Tony's mind, with all of our friends' minds! You nearly caused the _end of the world!_ Come on, try and explain _that!"_

He was shouting at the end. Green was eerily seeping in his eyes and creeping up the veins in his neck. Wanda's eyes were bulged in fear and shame as she visibly recoiled and took a step backwards, now hiding almost completely behind the door frame. But Stephen could also see something else in her eyes.

Guilt.

Maximoff had come a long way from the whiny, spoiled girl he had first met two and a half years ago. Of course, that didn't mean she deserved a pass. And Banner, more than anybody, had the right to a proverbial pound of flesh.

But not now. Not with what was happening.

"Wanda," he called, "Now is not a good time. Go back to your room. We'll talk about it later."

"Yeah, it really isn't the time right now," Banner agreed, "but we are gonna have words indeed, little witch. I'm really looking forward to hear your explanations. The other guy too."

Wanda flinched in fear as her cheeks burned in shame, and she walked away at a hasty pace.

Strange sighed and addressed Banner: "Doctor, we know that Asgard has been destroyed four months ago..."

The anger left Banner as if it had never been there: "...You do?" he asked, surprised that the information had preceded him.

"We do," Stephen confirmed, "The Avengers were informed about it three weeks ago. And this Thanos that you're telling us of... from the way you speak of him, it sounds like we have an emergency," he said, both trying to distract him from Wanda's retreating figure and to get back to the situation at hand.

Banner deflated, but at the same time a glint of fear was back in his eyes: "Yes, we definitely do. I... well, the Hulk, was with the Asgardian survivors heading for Earth when we were attacked. Thanos slaughtered half of them; even the Hulk was powerless against him... They managed to make me escape and send me here with some sort of Asgardian magical spell, but I don't know how far behind Thanos is..." Banner said, obviously trying his best to explain the situation and not lose his shit in the process, "Actually, where is here, and who are you people?" he asked, slightly calmer than before.

Wong spoke next. He didn't answer Bruce's questions, instead bringing the conversation back to the original topic: "I believe this situation calls for a meeting with the Sokovia Accords Central Committee. If aliens are coming back, we should all start organizing our defences."

"Right. I'll try to bring Dr. Banner up to speed, you contact the Committee," Stephen told Wong, "and the doctor is right, we also need to inform the Avengers."

***

Rhodey was in his office, still wondering what the hell had happened to the Asgardian woman laying comatose in a bed of the infirmary, in another wing of the Compound. Her wounds were almost completely healed, but she still hadn't woken up.

 _Must have been a hell of a battle,_ Rhodey pondered in his head. Whoever she had fought against had been powerful enough to knock her out for three weeks and counting.

Friday and Peter had recovered her in Central Park three weeks ago. Earlier that day, he had met with Carol, who had asked to join the Avengers because this ancient demon called Surtur had destroyed Asgard and was probably heading for their planet next. And then that night, this chick had popped out of a light beam just like Thor used to do, badly wounded and barely conscious, and said that this Surtur had been killed by some other monster before promptly passing out in Friday's arms.

He had a really bad feeling about this.

The woman had introduced herself to Friday and Peter as Lady Sif of Asgard, before losing consciousness. Facial rec matched her to one of Thor's friends who had been in Puente Antiguo, New Mexico back in 2009, when the Asgardians had first showed up on Earth after centuries.

Rhodey hadn't known Thor well enough but according to Tony and Natasha, the prince of Asgard had mentioned this woman more than once while 'retelling the tales of his glorious battles across the Nine Realms to his Midgardian shield brothers', and he had referred to this woman as 'The Goddess of War'. Now, Rhodey knew shit about the Asgardian society and its costumes, but he seriously doubted she hadn earned a moniker like that by sitting at home, pining for her beloved to come back from the front lines. No, she was a true warrior. One of Asgard's finest.

And someone had kicked her ass full size.

Carol had been spooked enough by this Surtur guy that she had suddenly decided to return to Earth after years of wandering around in space. And if he had really destroyed Asgard (and then some other worlds), he really was every bit the threat Carol had made him up to be. Now this Asgardian warrior maiden shows up saying someone else curbstomped Surtur the same way Surtur had curbstomped her, and was probably coming to Earth as well. Dammit, what was it with aliens always coming to Earth?

"Colonel," Jocasta's voice piped up, bringing him out of his musings, "Dr. Foster and her associates have arrived."

"Yeah, send them up," Rhodey answered. By now he had gotten used to the new AI in the Compound.

Maybe Foster and her friends would finally be able to give him some answers.

They arrived after a couple of minutes. Jane Foster seemed very nervous as she walked in his office, and behind her, Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig also had similar, stormy expressions on their faces. Jane didn't even greet him, she just walked up to him and spoke immediately: "Colonel Rhodes, we have a problem," she said.

 _Yeah, no shit,_ Rhodey thought. Wasn't that exactly why Tony had suggested they call her three weeks ago?

Foster was the leading expert on Asgard, or at least on the Asgardian way of traveling to other worlds. Until Sif woke up, if anyone could make sense of this whole thing and find some answers, it was her.

"Have you found anything?" Rhodey asked.

It was Selvig who answered him: "We did. Something we never expected to find," he said, putting a suitcase on Rhodey's desk and opening it.

Rhodey peered inside. What he saw made his eyebrows nearly disappear into his hairline in surprise: "Is that..."

"Mjolnir. Thor's hammer," Selvig confirmed.

"What is left of it," Lewis muttered gravely. Rhodey's eyes moved between the three and the open suitcase. In it, the engraved handle of what was unmistakeably Thor's magical hammer lay among fragments and shards of broken metal.

How was that possible? That thing was supposed to be indestructible!

 _Evidently not,_ he immediately thought with a shudder.

Many unanswered questions filled the Colonel's mind, but he took a deep breath and tried to put order in his thoughts. _One thing at a time._

"Okay..." he exhaled, "Tell me everything you know."

It was Jane who answered him: "After you contacted us about Lady Sif arriving in New York, we set our scanners to detect power signatures compatible with an Einstein-Rosen bridge. We hoped that if we could find where Thor had been, we could also find a lead on where he is now. We started by analyzing the power surge from when Sif arrived, and we noticed that it was very similar, but not identical to that of the Asgardian Bifrost."

"Since the signature is slightly different, it probably means she arrived from another realm and not from Asgard," Selvig interrupted.

"She mentioned to Friday that she was on a place called Vanaheim before she passed out," Rhodey recalled.

"It makes sense," Selvig said, "from what Thor used to recount to us and what little we know from Norse mythology, Vanaheim is a realm very similar to Asgard. The Vanir and the Aesir have common ancestors, and even their culture is very similar, so it stands to reason that they also have similar technology. Obviously Vanaheim has its own version of the Asgardian Bifrost, which leaves a residual radiation that is similar, but different enough for us to determine it wasn't the same device."

Rhodey nodded: "so Sif's story checks out. She came from Vanaheim," he surmised. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

_If she told the truth, it also means this Surtur guy was really killed and we have an even bigger threat incoming..._

Dr. Foster nodded gravely, reprising her explanation: "When we went back to analyzing electromagnetic anomalies in the past months, we also found two more power surges, both dating back to four months ago, and these ones were a perfect match with those of the Bifrost," she informed him, "the first one was once again in New York, and the second was in Norway, only thirty-two minutes later. We were in London when we learned this, so we went to analyze the site in Norway first. That's where we found..." she didn't continue, instead pointing at the mangled remains of Thor's hammer in Selvig's suitcase.

This made things even more complicated. What was Thor doing on Earth? Who or what had destroyed his hammer? In general, what the fuck was happening?

"Colonel, incoming call from Doctor Stephen Strange." Jocasta's voice abruptly breaking the silence made Rhodey perk up: Strange? The guy that had taken Maximoff in custody!

 _Damn it, if Maximoff has really chosen this moment of all moments to be problematic, Imma kick her sorry ass all the way to Saturn,_ Rhodey thought, "Put him through, Jo..."

"Colonel Rhodes?" came the mage's voice through the speakers.

"Yes, Doctor Strange," Rhodey answered, "Please tell me Maximoff is not causing trouble..."

"No, don't worry, she's behaving," the sorcerer reassured, "I'm calling you for a different matter..."

 _Another one?_ Rhodey thought. He was bordering exhasperation at this point: "What is it?"

"Bruce Banner is back."

***

Tony and Friday were at Stark Tower when Rhodey called them. Since they were much closer to the UN palace, where the Sokovia Accords Central Committee was assembling to discuss the sudden emergency, Rhodey decided to send Tony to attend the meeting personally. It wasn't entirely necessary to be physically present, especially since most members of the Committee would be attending via conference call themselves, but there was an unexpected development: Bruce had returned.

And apparently, he had quite the story to tell.

"Do you want me to come with you, Boss?" Friday asked handing him his jacket.

Tony turned to her and smiled. His baby girl was probably sensing his inner turmoil. She was such a blessing, he wondered every day how he deserved to have her in his life.

"No, Fri, don't worry. I can handle this," he assured her.

He'd rather be facing Bruce alone. There was no telling how Banner was going to react to everything that had changed while he was away. There was no telling if he would blame him for working with Ross, even if he and Friday had _permanently_ stopped him in the end. And he didn't want his daughter to feel ashamed for him or to have to defend him. He knew it was an irrational - maybe flat-out stupid - fear, but he couldn't help himself.

Friday, bless her, didn't insist or comment any further. She just smiled back at him as he took his jacket. She kissed Tony on the cheek: "I hope you can find some answers..." she said.

"Me too, Fri."

She smiled once more and turned to leave.

Tony was reeling in anticipation as the Mark 49 'Ninja' armor wrapped itself around him and he took off from the helipad of Stark Tower. It had been four years since he had last seen Bruce.

So much had changed in the meantime.

He landed on the roof of the UN building to avoid any onlookers. Seeing Iron Man land on the ground, in front of the United Nations' headquarters could have raised panic if someone made the connection that he was there for an emergency.

On the roof, he was met by four security guards. They all took the elevator down to the ground floor of the building, Tony removing the armor as the elevator started its descent. As the door opened, he was met by the ones who had called the meeting.

Bruce really looked worse for wear. He turned to face him and he almost started crying: "Tony," he whispered, walking up to him and hugging him tightly. Tony still didn't know what was going on, but he could tell his friend was rattled by something and needed this moment - needed _him_ \- to center himself.

Tony was still slightly dazed, but he hugged him back immediately: "Bruce, you ok?" he asked, "What's going on? Where have you been all this time?"

It took Bruce quite a while to find his footing again and break the hug, but in the end, he stepped back a little and looked at Tony: "I'll explain in a few minutes. The Committee is gathering; the meeting is about to start... By the way, it's good to hear that the Avengers work under the United Nations now. Much better than SHIELD, for sure."

Tony was surprised: "You know about that? The Sokovia Accords?" he asked.

"I only got a quick sum-up, not many details," Bruce answered.

Tony pursed his lips. He had to know: "Do you know about Ross' part in it?" he asked.

Bruce gave a sigh: "Yeah..."

Tony didn't know how to formulate his next question. He was already trying to come up with justifications, but thankfully, he found he didn't need to as Bruce went on: "By the way, you were amazing, Tony. I don't think I can ever thank you enough for ridding the world of that bastard."

Tony released the breath he had been holding and smiled at Bruce. Thank God Ross hadn't managed to take his friend away from him.

Bruce's expression then became confused: "Tony, can you tell me something more about this Civil War thing though? They told me that the Avengers split up, that Cap and Barton are in jail... What's going on?"

Tony sighed: "It's a really long story. When the Accords were presented, we... Cap and I, we had an argument. I thought the Accords were a good compromise, or at least they were going to be after Ross was gone, but Rogers disagreed. Things went to shit from there."

"That's quite the understatement," said another man from the side.

Tony turned to him, and saw a guy with salt and pepper hair, dressed like a wizard from a cartoon or a fairytale book. He even wore a red cape to complete the image.

Nice facial hair, though.

"I'm not sure I'm familiar," Tony said, facing him and holding out his hand.

"Doctor Stephen Strange," the man answered, taking his hand and shaking it, "Doctor Banner crashed - quite literally - at my place earlier this morning. I'm the one who called the meeting."

Stephen Strange. The name wasn't new to Tony: "Oh, yeah, you're Maximoff's, um... appointed warden, aren't you?" he asked. He noticed that Strange's hands covered in some really nasty scars.

"Among other things," the Doctor answered with a sideways smile.

"How's it going? Has she caused trouble?" Tony asked then.

Strange shrugged: "Other than trying to kill herself? No, not really."

Tony's eyebrows rose: "Kill herself?" he repeated.

"She slit her right wrist and then went to bed, covering herself with the blankets to hide the bleeding as long as possible," Strange explained, "but her room was monitored. It was a close call, but we managed to get there in time. Turns out she has serious depression problems."

There was a long pause in which no one spoke. Tony was pretty shocked by the new information: "When did this happen?" he asked.

"Nearly two years ago. She probably fell into depression after being arrested, and seven months later she snapped. She's getting treatment now though; she's still not entirely out of it, but her psychiatrist thinks her suicidal tendencies have died down," Strange reported, with a solemn expression.

_Huh._

Tony would never have thought that Wanda Maximoff of all people would ever end up trying to take her own life. The Wanda he had known was an opportunistic bitch who held herself above everything and everybody. Guess people really do change.

Of course, Tony knew _why_ she had supposedly fallen into depression.

Was it really just self-loathing or was it just the ultimate tantrum? One last, botched attempt to get his attention or even make him feel sorry for her? Was it just to end the pain and sorrow or was it to put one more life on Tony's conscience after he had finally gotten rid of her?

Maybe it was bad to immediately think the worst of her like this, but she hadn't exactly given him reason to think any better of her in the past.

"Well, at least now she's only hurting herself and not others, that's progress," Bruce interjected in a low voice.

That caught Tony's attention again. Bruce turned to him: "Doctor Strange is the one who was kind enough to bring me up to speed a bit on the last four years, and... Wanda Maximoff was an Avenger? What the fuck, Tony?"

Tony shared the sentiment: 'What the fuck?' was a pretty apt description: "Rogers made the decision. He said she had redeemed herself."

"Redeemed herself? By fighting the murder-bot that was gonna kill her too? For God's sake, she was Hydra!" Bruce stated incredulously.

"I know. It's what I told him, but he refused to listen to any objection," Tony answered. Then he lowered his head and narrowed his eyes: "Now I know why," he added, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Bruce's lip twitched in confusion. He opened his mouth to ask what Tony meant, but in that moment a guard entered the hall.

"Gentlemen, the Committee is ready to start," he announced.

Bruce's expression changed from confused to resolute, and slightly haunted, as he strode towards the guard, leading the others to the meeting room.

***

"From the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then, boom!" Strange's associate, Wong, exclaimed theatrically, moving his hands around and causing some sort of magic projection to shift into five colored, luminescent stones: "The Big Bang sends six elemental crystals, hurdling across the virgin Universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence."

Strange moved forward and every time he spoke, one of the gems lit up brighter than the others: "Space. Reality. Power. Soul. Mind..."

He paused, and looked down at the necklace he was wearing: "...and Time," he finished. The necklace shifted and opened, and for a moment and a bright green light appeared before the necklace shifted back and closed again.

"Wait a second," the Japanese delegate interrupted: "that's supposed to be one of the most powerful weapons in the Universe and you're wearing it like a nice fashion item?"

"It's not a weapon, Delegate Sato," Strange retorted, "but yes, it is extremely powerful. The Masters of the Mystic Arts have been protecting it for centuries. Its power was never abused."

Nobutake Sato looked like he was about to protest some more but Carlos Barrero, the Argentinian delegate, spoke next: "What about the other five? Where are they?"

"Spread across the Universe, like Wong said," Strange answered, "Other than the Eye of Agamotto containing the Time Stone, we only know the location of the Mind Stone."

"It's the gem in Vision's forehead," Tony recalled out loud. He remembered Thor saying that, back when Vision was born: "before that, it was the gem that powered Loki's sceptre."

"That's right," Strange confirmed.

"And now, there's an intergalactic warlord coming to Earth to collect these two Stones," Kurt Lütjens from Germany surmised gravely. "Dr. Banner, you said you met this individual?"

Bruce gulped: "Yes. His name is Thanos. He... He's a plague. He invades planets, he takes what he wants and when he's done, he wipes out half the population. He's the one who sent Loki! The attack on New York back in 2012, that's him!"

Tony looked worriedly at his long lost friend. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. Tony had never seen him so haunted, not even when he came down from the high of a stint as the Hulk.

By the looks of things, this Thanos was unlike anybody they'd ever faced.

"What is our timeline?" delegate Shuri Udaku, from Wakanda, asked from the screen that showed her in video conference from her home country.

"No telling," Bruce replied shaking his head helplessly, "He already had the Soul Stone, and he just acquired the Space Stone by slaughtering half of the Asgardians and killing Thor... That already makes him the strongest creature in the Universe... Delegates, if he gets his hands on all six stones..."

"He can destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of," Strange muttered with finality, finishing Bruce's sentence.

Tony raised an eyebrow as the Doctor matched his medieval wizard appearance with his choice in vernacular, but didn't have time to comment as Isaiah Bradley, the American delegate, questioned them next:

"Doctor, if Thanos needs all six of these Stones, what are you waiting for to throw that one in the garbage disposal?" he asked, pointing at the necklace Strange was wearing.

 _That's actually a good idea,_ Tony thought. But clearly, Strange had another opinion:

"No can do. We swore to protect the Stones with our lives," he asserted.

"I think Delegate Bradley brings up a fair point," Tony interjected, "if we destroy one of the Stones, we throw a pretty sizeable wrench in Thanos' plans, don't you think, Doc?"

"The Time Stone may be the best chance we have against Thanos," the doctor countered, rather animately.

"And still, conversely, it may also be _his_ best chance against _us,"_ Tony answered.

Surprisingly, it was Bruce who stopped the bickering: "Tony... Doctor Strange has a point. Remember what Thor said during Ultron? The Stones are the most powerful artifacts in the Universe. Thanos has two of them already, but we also have two: the Eye of Agamotto, and..."

"Vision," Tony finished for him.

"Yes," Bruce confirmed, shifting his gaze frantically between Tony and the delegates, "Listen, Thor is gone, Thanos is coming. We need to bring all the Avengers together on this, we should consolidate the Stones, keep them close, maybe find a way to-"

He was interrupted by a sudden, muffled noise. Everyone in the room had heard it as they all looked around in confusion.

Tony turned to Strange. The bangs on his forehead were vibrating.

"Say, Doc, you wouldn't happen to be moving your hair, would you?"

Strange looked up at his hair, confused: "Uh... Not at the moment, no..."

The vibration intensified. All of a sudden, the entire building was shaking as if caught in an earthquake.

"What the hell is going on!?" shrieked one of the delegates.

As if on cue, a guard ran in, breathless: "Two unidentified flying objects approaching over Liberty Island! They're enormous!" he shouted.

Bruce went pale: "Oh God..." he whispered, "It's him... He's already here..."

Quickly, more guards entered the room, starting to escort the members of the Committee out to safety.

Bradley rose from his seat, but didn't leave immediately, instead facing Tony: "I guess we don't have any more time to discuss this further. As long as they're on U.S. soil, the Avengers have carte blanche, Mr. Stark. I take full responsibility," he said. Tony simply nodded as Bradley allowed himself to be escorted out.

Tony and Strange exchanged a look: "You might wanna go get your suit, Stark," the doctor said gravely."

"Yeah. You might wanna put that Time Stone in your back pocket, Strange," Tony replied as they both headed for the exit, followed by Bruce and Wong.

"I might wanna use it," the doctor muttered.

***

Carol was tapping her foot nervously on the floor as she fiddled with her communicator.

After their private meeting, Rhodey had asked Dr. Foster and her associates to relay what they had found to the other Avengers as well. Seeing Thor's destroyed hammer had been as much of a shock for them as it had been for their leader less than an hour ago.

Carol had a bad feeling. She was trying to call her Kree contacts to get an update on the situation in outer space, but for whatever reasons, her communicator was not getting any response signal.

"I don't get it, it seems to be working perfectly," she said with frustration.

"Is it possible that your contacts are unable to respond?" Natasha suggested, "If Thanos is really this kind of bad news, your alien friends might be too occupied to answer the phone..."

"Maybe, but it's not very likely," Carol replied, "my contacts are scattered all across the galaxy, it's almost impossible that not a single one of them can answer me... Unless..." Carol stilled and didn't finish the sentence.

Everybody leaned slightly forward. "Unless what?" Sharon prompted gently.

Carol's expression became grave: "Unless somoeone is jamming the signal... isolating the Earth by blocking all communication signals to and from this planet..."

Silence followed. Of all people, it was Darcy Lewis who broke it: "Wait... The entire planet is isolated? Is that even possible? And... and why would someone isolate an entire planet?"

"To prevent us from calling for backup when we are attacked..." Rhodey guessed in a spooked tone. Carol nodded gravely at him.

Suddenly before anyone could react to that statement, Vision flinched, hissing in pain and reaching for his forehead with his hand.

"Vision?" Hope called from beside him.

The android turned to her: "The Stone... It's as if it's speaking to me..."

Hope's brow furrowed in confusion: "Speaking to you? What... Has it done it before?" she asked.

"N-no... No, it's the first time... I think it's trying to warn me..." he said, as confused as everybody else felt.

"Warn you? About what?" Rhodey asked.

Vision didn't answer. He turned towards the window, stood up and walked up to it.

The others still didn't understand. One by one, they followed him to the window and finally, they saw the source of his distress. Three enormous, circular spaceships were floating in the sky. Carol had never seen them before, they didn't belong to any alien race that she knew of. But Natasha did recognize the Chitauri chariots that were starting to drop like a swarm of bees from the three ring-shaped crafts.

"Are... are those..." Sharon started.

"Chitauri," Nat said, already mentally preparing herself for the upcoming battle as Chitauri chariots started dropping out of the giant ships and assumed a battle formation all around the Compound.

"They are here for it," Vision replied, clenching his fists, "I can feel it... They're here for the Mind Stone..."

Nobody replied.

A few seconds later, Friday's voice suddenly resonated from the room's speakers: "Colonel Rhodes, we have two alien spaceships approaching New York City! The Sokovia Accords Central Committee is calling for the Avengers to assemble!"

Hope, Natasha and Erik Selvig turned to face the speakers on the wall, but didn't respond, utterly overwhelmed.

"Colonel Rhodes?" Friday called again when nobody answered her, "Does anybody copy?"

Slowly, absentmindedly, not taking his eyes from the alien armada amassing right outside of the window, Rhodey brought his hand to his earpiece: "I copy, Friday, but we have a suspiciously similar problem here..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend of mine asked me if, now that Mjolnir has been destroyed, even an "unworthhy" person can pick up the pieces. I think that when the hammer was destroyed, the worthiness enchantment was broken as well. There are many examples in Nordic lore of enchanted or cursed weapons that lose their magic when they are broken, and in most cases, even reforging them doesn't mean they get their magical component back (the only notable exception that I can think of is Aragorn's sword in LoTR).
> 
> About the updating of this story: I will try my best to update a new chapter every two weeks, but with my job taking away eight hours of my day five days a week, sometimes the weeks between a chapter and the next are gonna be three. I will do everything in my power to avoid having you all wait longer than that.


	3. Full Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanos' forces commence their attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, Jim Paxton became an Avenger as the new Yellowjacket, some time before the end of Tony's Girl (he appeared as such in the last chapter of that story). He is currently undergoing a probation period to become a full member, as are Natasha, Peter and Carol.

"Friday, are you seeing this?" Tony shouted in his comm, as he ran out of the UN building to find the streets of New York in complete and utter disarray.

"Yes Boss," Friday confirmed, her voice forcefully calm, "I'm on my way to your position. ETA 30 seconds."

"Alert the Avengers!" Tony ordered then, "We're gonna need backup!"

"I already have, Boss, but the Compound is being attacked too," Friday explained.

Tony cursed under his breath as one of the big, donut-shaped spaceships became visible over the top of the surrounding skyscrapers.

 _This is where it comes full circle,_ Tony thought, not without fear.

He knew this would happen. Had known for years, ever since those Chitauri had started raining down above Manhattan. And now, they were back.

_Well then, it looks like we have to teach them another lesson..._

If it was war, then so be it. He was ready to fight.

Dozens of people were running away from the approaching spaceships in a mad panic. It was almost difficult to try and move in the opposite direction until the crowd gradually thinned as more and more people fled the scene.

In the end, there was no one left. All the civilian bystanders had ran away, leaving nothing but a deserted street in their wake as the two humongous spaceships kept coming closer. It really looked like the end of the world had arrived.

The two spaceships landed side by side right at the end of the street, two hundred feet in front of them, literally crushing the buildings on either side of the street as they descended. A huge cloud of debris lifted upon touchdown, but Strange made some of his weird hand-wavy gestures and all the dust immediately settled.

After that, everything seemed to quiet down. Even the engines of the ships, that had been causing a massive whirlwind, seemed to have stopped. It almost seemed like the entire city block was abandoned.

New York as a ghost city. Imagine that. And it was just the start.

The empasse was broken a few seconds later by Friday, swooping in and landing at their side, clad in her armor: "Hello, Boss. Did I miss anything?" she queried as her helmet retracted.

"No, they just landed," Tony answered, never taking his eyes away from the alien spaceships, "Oh by the way, Bruce, this is Friday. She's my daughter," he introduced.

"Hello, Doctor Banner, it is nice to finally meet you," Friday greeted, smiling but somewhat distracted.

Despite the current situation, or maybe because of it, Bruce was completely dumbstruck by this last bombshell.

 _Tony's daughter_ had just appeared out of the blue wearing a suit of armor just like Tony's own. He thought he could be cut some slack on this one: "Y-your daughter? Tony..."

"Long story," he said laconically.

If he was honest with himself, Bruce was feeling a bit lightheaded from all these sudden twists. But as he was left there reeling, Tony and Friday were already taking care of business: "What's the situation at the Compound?" Tony asked.

"Three spaceships are approaching there as we speak. Jocasta sent me the security footage, and they look just like these two," she replied, pointing at the two spaceships in front of them.

"They're after Vision's stone," Doctor Strange growled, "It's a coordinated attack. Looks like they've planned ahead..."

"Yeah..." Tony agreed. Damn it. "What's Spiderman's status?"

"I've alerted him," Friday replied, turning to him, "he should be here in a few minutes, but-"

"Hear me, and rejoice!" a boisterous voice interrupted her. Suddenly in front of them stood a tall, skinny and very ugly alien. Behind him, a hooded woman with blue skin and a black and white suit was walking up to his side. Bruce immediately recognized them as two of Thanos' aides from the attack on the Statesman.

"You are about to die at the hands of Ebony Maw and Supergiant, children of Thanos," the creepy dude announced pompously, gesturing to himself and the woman that had just joined him, "Be thankful that your meaningless lives are now contributing to-"

"Oh great, here we go with the Generic Bad Guy's Speech," Friday interrupted him.

"...I beg your pardon?" the Ebony Maw guy stuttered.

Friday rolled her eyes, her posture slack and her expression bored: "We all know the drill: 'Blah, blah, blah, we are so evil, blah blah blah, tremble before us, blah blah blah, destruction, terror and untold mysery'. Everybody has heard it already, it's literally in every action movie ever made, so let's just skip to the part where the bad guy gets curbstomped, yes?"

The alien was pretty stunned: "Excuse me, do you have an inlking of an idea of who-"

"Or, if you'd rather not be punched repeatedly in your non-existent nose, you can always get back into those oversized flying hula-hoops of yours and skedaddle, Baby Face," Friday concluded.

Now Ebony Maw was really at a loss of words: "I... You..."

"She means 'Get lost, Squidward'," Tony added to Friday's retort, "and take La Blue Girl with you."

The ugly alien's face became, if possible, even more ugly as he gnashed his teeth and snarled: "Not one minute on this wayward rock and my patience is already utterly spent. Supergiant?" he called.

"With gusto," the blue woman sneered back in reply as she started to slowly approach the four heroes.

In response, Tony heard a low, menacing growl coming from where Bruce was standing right beside him. As he turned, he could clearly see that the Hulk was calling dibs.

Bruce was walking towards the alien woman as his muscles started bulging, ripping off his clothes while his skin slowly turned green.

"Been a while. Good to have you back, big guy," Tony cheered, as a fully hulked-out Bruce smashed both his fists on the ground, wrecking the pavement in front of Supergiant.

Then the Hulk roared and went for a kick. That single blow would have been enough to kill the alien woman if it had connected, but she jumped backwards just in the nick of time, causing the Hulk to chase after her in frustration.

The green giant then went for a fist, but once again the woman outmaneuvered him, jumping up and landing on his shoulders. She locked her legs together on his throat and for a moment, it looked like she wanted to try and strangle the Hulk with her thighs in a Black Widow-like fashion. The Hulk immediately tried to grab her to shake her off, but she was faster, holding his head with both hands.

"You will submit," she snarled, loud enough for Tony, Friday, Strange and Wong to hear.

The reaction was immediate. The Hulk let out a pained cry, thrashing left and right trying to dislodge the woman from his back, but she managed to hold fast.

Partly because the Hulk was losing all his strenght.

"What- what's she doing to him? What's happening!?" Tony asked, clearly unsettled.

Strange didn't respond, but his reaction was very telling: "Damn it... Wong!" he called.

"Right," the other sorcerer replied. Together, they performed a perfectly synchronized and rather intricate hand gesture that directed a blast of some sort against the alien, finally managing to get her off the Hulk's back.

Tony didn't wait a second more, taking off towards his friend, who was suddenly and inexplicably reverting back to Bruce.

Supergiant did a backflip and landed on her feet, apparently unfazed by the attack from Strange and Wong. She rose to her full height as her two latest attackers created some sort of energy shields in front of Tony and Bruce.

"Oh my God..." Bruce breathed, his chest heaving as Tony helped him sit up: "Bruce? Are you ok?" he asked.

"No... I had forgotten how awful it was..." Bruce replied in a scared, barely audible voice.

"What? What are you talking about?" Tony asked.

"She got in his head," Strange supplied, "and managed to scare the Hulk away. I recognize telepathy when I see it," he gritted.

"What!?" Friday barked, sounding absolutely enraged.

Supergiant laughed evilly: "Do you understand now, little humans?" she asked in a derisive tone, "against me, all your strenght amounts to nothing! I will-"

She never finished the sentence as a powerful blast knocked her clean off her feet, sending her flying backwards again. She was about to crash right into her comrade, but Ebony Maw merely flicked his fingers to the side, and Supergiant was flung sideways, crashing into the sidewalk.

Everybody turned to see Friday with both her hands outstretched and her repulsors still smoking: "Psychic powers piss me off," the girl declared. Her helmet had come up, obscuring her face, but her voice was downright murderous, "especially those of the mind-raping variety..."

In that moment, Ebony Maw lost his patience: "Very well, humans," he stated, raising his hands. The entire section of the street he was standing on broke off the ground and levitated, with him on top. Moments later, Strange was floating off the ground too, and the two propelled themselves at one another.

Tony gritted his teeth: "Bruce, can you stand?" he demanded. The man nodded and shakily got to his feet, with Tony supporting him.

Supergiant was getting up as well, apparently unfazed by Friday's attack. Tony turned to Wong: "Looks like the Hulk is out of action for a while. Can I leave him with you?" he asked. Wong just nodded, putting a hand on Bruce's shoulder.

Supergiant looked pissed: "You shouldn't have interfered! You might have lived a little longer," she exclaimed, stalking towards them.

Tony braced himself: "Fri, you with me?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm all for taking _her_ on if it means I don't have to fight Freddy Krueger back there," his daughter answered, scrunching her nose in disgust as she looked at Ebony Maw had started trading blows with Strange. She took a step towards her opponent, Tony at her side.

"Don't let her touch you!" Bruce shouted to them, still shaken by whatever it was that she had done to the Hulk.

***

At the Compound, the situation was much worse. The invasors had decided on a different tactic than in New York, leading the attack with a swarm of Chitauri.

The insectoid beasts swooping down from the giant alien spaceships on their flying chariots and rapidly getting into an attack position were bringing back unpleasant memories for Natasha.

As they all ran towards the armory, she tried not to dwell on all the times Tony had tried to tell them they would come back. On all the times everybody had laughed in his face and called him crazy. On the fact that their rejection could very well have played in his drive to find another way to protect the world... and also primed him for Wanda to push him into building Ultron.

Tony had been right - as always. But what was done was done, and now wasn't the time for recriminations. The problem was still there.

They all scrambled to defend themselves as the first energy beams started raining down on the Compound. The outer areas of the building were demolished in moments, and were starting to crumble under the onslaught. Clearly, their intention was to try and bring down the whole building on their heads and then walk over their dead bodies to get Vision's Stone out from the ruins.

Mercifully, the armory was still intact. As everybody suited up, Rhodey donned the War Machine Mark 4 armor and herded Foster, Selvig and Lewis to the closest panic room.

"You should be a little better protected here," he said, trying to remain calm, but failing spectacularly. He was almost shouting as he spoke to them, even if that area of the Compound had yet to be attacked and the noises of the battle were still distant. He didn't wait for a reply, closing the reinforced door and turning to join his team, just in time to get hit by a Chitauri cannon right in the chest.

The blast knocked him off his feet, but the armor held perfectly. In an instant, Rhodey rolled and got up on one knee, shooting both a repulsor and his shoulder cannon at the incoming Chitauri troops. He dispatched of them in a few seconds, but not without acknowledging that they had already started to send in foot soldiers.

This was getting bad.

"Everyone, try to get to the detention block! We can limit their movements there!" he shouted in his comm to his team that was no doubt waiting for his orders, "Stay together and keep them off Vision!"

The answer didn't take long to come: "Copy that," Hope's voice spoke through his comm, "we're on our way."

Rhodey grimaced. It was a bit of a shitty plan, but it was the only one he had right about now.

The sub-basement where the detention block had been installed was four floors underground, and it wasone of the most heavily fortified parts of the Compound, together with the armory and Tony's labs. They could have stayed in the armory, but that area was too exposed, with four entrances from where the Chitauri could try and attack. The detention block had only one way in and out, which meant that, instead of defending themselves from attacks on all sides, they would only have to defend the door in front of them.

The Chitauri were going to have trouble trying to get to them. And if they did, the Avengers would still be relatively protected by the narrow space preventing the attackers to use their most powerful, long-range weaponry.

Of course, that was a solid plan only if the Chitauri didn't decide to bring down the whole building on their heads. Which Rhodey suspected they could.

They needed backup, and fast.

"Jocasta!" he called as he started to move towards the detention block to reach his team, "Get the Air Force here! I need a bombing run on those spaceships!"

"The Air Force has been alerted, Colonel, but they have trouble coordinating. Most of the communication systems are down," Jocasta replied with urgency.

 _Shit, that's right,_ Rhodey thought, his eyes bulging slightly, _Carol said the Earth is isolated from contacting other planets... Maybe whatever's scrambling Carol's signal is also screwing up normal long-range comm systems... Fuck!_

"How much time we talking here, Jo? 'Cause we really need some heavy artillery here!"

"I'm not sure. I'm working on it..."

***

Everybody in New York was aware of the invasion by now. As the spaceships were landing close to the United Nations building, they could be seen from everywhere in the city.

Including Bleecker Street.

_'Doctor Strange, what's going on!?'_

_'Not now, Maximoff!'_ Strange telepathically replied to the Witch who had reached out to him, while dodging a big chunk of concrete that Maw had thrown at him with his telekinetic powers.

The Witch actually stopped trying to communicate with him. For about ten seconds.

_'Are they aliens? Do you-'_

_'Dammit Wanda, not now!'_ Stephen replied again, this time a little pissed off, _'This guy's trying to kill me, I don't have time to chat!'_

He conjured his energy whips and managed to block Ebony Maw's left arm right as the alien was about to hurl another piece of debris, this time at Wong, who was still on the sidelines with Doctor Banner. The other sorcerer blasted him with a hex bolt, and Thanos' henchman was sent reeling backwards.

Stephen took the moment to fill in the Witch: _'Yes, Wanda, they're aliens and they are here for the Time Stone.'_ Anticipating what she was gonna say next, he added: _'Stay where you are and don't intervene. We have this under control for now, and you're not cleared for field duty, or even for being out of the Sanctum.'_

She protested: _'But I can't just sit here-'_

_'Wanda, we don't need your help. If we do we'll let you know, but for now, stay put! You'll only get in trouble with the Committee if you come here and fight!'_

She was silent after that. Stephen really hoped she would listen to him. Scarlet Witch was a convicted criminal, they couldn't have her out and about unless absolutely necessary.

Not to mention...

He glanced behind him, where Tony and Friday were fighting Supergiant. Lady Iron hated the Witch with a passion, and today she seemed particularly pissed, as shown when she flew up to the alien woman, kneed her in the stomach and then viciously fired a repulsor blast right in her face. Bringing Wanda in could enrage her even more, and Stephen was most definitely not looking forward to that.

Besides, Friday and her father needed to focus on their own adversary, without looking behind their shoulders waiting for Wanda to screw up again. She probably wouldn't, not now, after two years of training, but they would still expect her to.

He only hoped these aliens didn't have any tricks up their sleeve that forced him to let Wanda come to fight.

***

Rhodey had finally reached the underground levels, and was on his way to the detention block, slaying Chitauri left and right. The disgusting aliens were invading all the floors of the Compound worse than a swarm of locusts.

"Jocasta, talk to me! How long for those bombers?"

There was nearly a full minute of silence before the AI answered: "Communications are still down. The Air Force is trying to coordinate to attack the spaceships in New York City as well. It's gonna take maybe another ten minutes."

Rhodey grunted as three blasts in rapid successions brought him down to his knees: _"Bullshit_ ten minutes, we're all gonna be dead in five here! Tell them to wake the hell up!" he barked, shooting two more Chitauri and punching a third one in the face hard enough to snap his neck.

He tried to contact the others: "Guys, situation?"

The answer came from Paxton: "We reached the detention block, but these bipedal lizards just keep coming," he reported, somewhat winded and more that a little scared.

Then, after a few minutes, Carol spoke: "You know what? I'm sick of this," she declared. Right after that, Rhodey felt the entire Compound shake under his feet.

There was a long pause after that. "Guys? What happened?" Rhodey asked worried, flying down the halls towards the detention block.

It was again Paxton who answered: "Man, Captain Marvel is no one's fool!" he exclaimed, this time very excited.

Rhodey didn't question it further, smirking into his helmet. Carol was monstrously powerful, maybe even more than Vision. That mini-earthquake was clearly her losing her patience. He was curious if any of the Chitauri in the vicinity of the detention block had survived her latest blast.

It was rather unlikely.

***

Supergiant punched Boss through a tree and into a building. Friday shot her right hand repulsor at her, but she sidestepped it and dropped to a crouch. She then waved her hand to the right.

Friday almost didn't notice the minivan that came flying towards her. She managed to miss it by two inches, maximum.

 _Oh, fucking great. She's also telekinetic, just like the other guy,_ Friday's mind supplied. She made to shoot the other woman again but the minivan was back: instead of letting it crash on the other side of the street, the woman had stopped it and brought it back onto Friday. This time, she couldn't avoid it.

It crashed on top of her and skidded on the ground for nearly twenty yards, with Friday trapped beneath it. Her armour was still fully operational, but Friday had hit her head hard on the back of her helmet. Not hard enough to give her a concussion, but enough to leave her momentarily dazed.

Supergiant laughed, lifting the destroyed van about thirty feet off the ground and was about to bring it down again on top of Friday as hard as she could, trying to use it like a hammer and crush her into the pavement.

However, Boss was back.

A powerful beam struck Supergiant, again sending her flying backwards, and this time the alien woman felt it, because she didn't immediately get back up. She also lost her telekinetic grip on the van, which started to free-fall on top of Friday. She raised her hands, ready to blast it out of the way, but at the last moment she was snatched from underneath it by someone who rolled them to the side.

The van crashed on the asphalt with a loud noise of distorting metal and shattering glass. Friday looked at it for a moment before turning her head and finally seeing who had grabbed her and pulled her out of the way.

She could picture Peter's sheepish and embarrassed face even through his Spidey mask: "Um... Hi Friday..." he greeted.

"Hi, Peter," Friday responded.

A few moments of silence followed, and Peter wasn't moving. _Pete, come on! Not in front of the aliens!_

She debated just pushing him off her and get up, but he _had_ just saved her life. Well, technically her armour could have taken the weight of that van no problem, but still, it had been a nice gesture. She decided to just make him notice: "Uh, Pete, you're still on top of me..." she said.

The eyes of Spiderman's mask widened immediately: "Oh... Oh shit! I mean, oh shoot! I mean... Sorry!" Peter babbled, immediately jerking to his feet and even offering her a hand to get up. She took it with a smile both fond and a little exhasperated.

"What's these guys' problem?" Peter asked then, getting back to the situation at hand.

"They're from space, they're here to steal a magic necklace from a wizard," Friday explained. She then turned to see Supergiant still motionless on the ground and Boss flying towards where Strange was fighting Ebony Maw.

"That's the wizard," she said, pointing at Strange, "let's go."

Her repulsors came to life and she took off towards the battle, with Peter in tow.

***

When Rhodey finally reached the corridor of the detention block, he noticed with grim satisfaction that he had been right: the corpses of the disgusting aliens littered the place, all burnt to a crisp by Carol's latest attack.

The walls, ceiling and floor were badly damaged too. He hoped the foundations would hold; doing the dirty work for these guys would really suck.

"Don't shoot, it's me," he let them know before flying up to them through the smoke.

Nobody looked hurt. _Thank God._

If they could hold their own for a little while longer, the Air Force would be ready to attack these assholes from above, and then they could get out and teach them a lesson.

"You ok?" asked Hope, running up to him.

"Fine," Rhodey answered, "You?"

"We're ok," Hope assured.

"Vision, you good?" Rhodey asked after a beat. If these guys were truly there for him, he might appreciate the sentiment.

"Yes, colonel. Thank you." he answered succintly.

"So what's the plan?" asked Paxton, removing his helmet.

"We have to hold on for a little while longer," Rhodey explained, "Jo is coordinating with the Air Force to bomb the crap out of their motherships. It's a matter of minutes now. Once the cavalry gets here, we get out and fight them head on, but for now we have to-"

He didn't finish the sentence because the ground had started shaking. At first in was barely noticeable, but then it had started growing and growing until it seemed like a real earthquake.

"What's going on? What are they doing?" Sharon exclaimed worriedly.

The answer came less than ten seconds later.

Entrenched like they were in the depths of the detention block, they couldn't see what the aliens were doing in the surface. They couldn't see that from the three spaceships had detatched what looked like giant machines that looked like circular saws, that had hit the ground and started digging into the Compound, completely gutting the building and starting to dig deeper and deeper into the ground. Until they reached them.

The lights went out and the ceiling collapsed. _Oh shit, NO!_

Rhodey acted on instinct, grabbing Hope and tucking her beneath him, trying to protect her with his body as much as he could. He felt the pieces of concrete pile up on top of his armor and atart crushing him.

For a moment, he thought this was it. Then, he heard a massive explosion and the pressure eased slightly.

He turned. Carol stood there, breathing heavily, her arms raised over her head. He looked up, and there was nothing but a massive crater where the East wing of the Compound once was.

And they were standing in it.

Recognizable pieces of the alien machines that had done that were falling all around them. His HUD showed an infrared scan of some of the Chitauri flying around on their weird chariot thingies, and also one of the motherships, hovering ominously over the disaster.

Then he heard a whimper.

Hope was still underneath him, her face contorted in agony. He looked down and saw the blood.

_Oh, no... No!_

There was a massive wound on her abdomen. A big pool of blood was forming under Hope's body.

_There's too much blood..._

"Fuck... Hope... Hope, look at me!" he shouted, fearing the worst. His left gauntlet peeled back and he pressed his hand on the wound. Hope whimpered in pain as he did so.

She was losing color... Her face was getting pale... _Shit shit shit... Hope, no..._

"Rhodey!"

He turned. They were probably shouting his name for a while now, but he hadn't even realized they were calling him.

Carol and Paxton stood there. Carol was covered in dust from head to toe, her face black from soot. Paxton looked better, he had probably shrunk down to avoid getting crushed. _Why the hell didn't you do the same, Hope!?_

Maybe it was because he had grabbed her trying to protect her instead of letting her protect herself. It could be because of that...

_God, no..._

"The others are trapped under the debris!" Paxton shouted, bringing Rhodey out of it.

It was true. There was no sign of Vision, Sharon or Natasha.

Rhodey didn't utter a single word. He was still reeling. Then he looked up: his sight was completely impaired by the giant cloud of dust that had formed when the Compound had collapsed, but the infrareds of the armor showed him the Chitauri getting their chariots into formation right above them. Those bastards thought they were about to deliver the killing blow.

Rhodey saw red.

His shoulder cannon was out of actions, but all his other weapons were still in woking order. And he used them with extreme prejudice.

Bullets, missiles and repulsors rained down - or rather, up - at the incoming Chitauri as War Machine unleashed all of his arsenal at them. Not a single one managed to reach him or even return fire. Then, Carol started attacking as well with her energy blasts, and the few surviving aliens wisely decided to retreat.

He turned to Carol: "Find the others," he ordered simply. She nodded and left. Rhodey turned to Paxton: "Stay with her," he said, getting up. Paxton nodded and crouched next to Hope, putting a hand on her wound and applying pressure. Hope didn't make a sound this time: she had lost consciousness.

Rhodey looked at her and felt his heart in his throat.

_Focus, Rhodey. You have shit to do._

He flew up and out of the crater, determined to kick every single one of these disgusting bug-men back into their flying donuts and then join the Air Force into bombing them to hell.

***

Maw was in trouble. The Starks had shrugged off Supergiant, who was momentarily out of action and now Stephen, Tony, Friday and Peter were all surrounding him.

The alien looked at them with defiance for a moment, but then he visibly relaxed. He even smiled.

"Something funny, Voldemort?" Stephen asked.

Maw scoffed: "Well, as a matter of fact..."

Everybody tensed up. Then Maw shouted: "Attack! Now!"

They heard a noise. It came from the two spaceships.

As they turned, they all saw a swarm of Chitauri was starting to pour out of them. There were hundreds of the damn things. Thousands, even.

Stephen was frozen for a moment. He barely heard Tony exclaim in fear: "Oh God... not this again..."

The billionaire didn't move immediately. It was his daughter who took off first, starting to engage the swarm of insectoid aliens. Only then, Tony shook himself out of his reverie and joined her.

This was bad. Really bad. And it just became worse when Maw attacked him again with his powers.

Stephen was propelled against a wall, only managing to summon his shields to partly absorb the impact. But he couldn't move; Maw was probably holding him down with his powers.

He glanced to his left: about three hundred yards down the street, Wong was creating a portal and shoving Doctor Banner in it. Then he started running towards them, but the alien woman had recovered and jumped right in front of him, blocking his path.

Stephen couldn't break free. He needed help. But Wong was now busy with Supergiant, while Stark, his daughter and Spiderman were desperately engaging the swarm of Chitauri...

There was no avoiding it now.

He reached out telepathically: _'Wanda... it just got worse. A lot worse. These two aliens have brought a ton of reinforcements.'_

Her response came immediately: _'I'm coming.'_

***

As Rhodey reached the surface, he immediately brought all his guns to bear on the retreating Chitauri. Most of them looked like they were trying to reach the closest of the three spaceships, but they never made it.

A beam of pure light sliced through the front of the ship, causing an explosion that in turn triggered a massive chain reaction. A few moments later, about a third of the ring that composed the ship was reduced to smithereens.

Vision was there. He smiled at Rhodey, clearly pleased with his job, as the Mind Stone's glow subsided.

Maybe Rhodey's plan had been even shittier than he thought. They should have just attacked headfirst, if Vision was capable of doing _that._

The destroyed spaceship fell from the sky and crashed on the ground in a tremendous crunch, collapsing on itself as small explosion rocked the mangled hull.

The Chitauri had abruptly stopped and promptly turned back towards Rhodey in a disorganized attempt to escape from the force of nature that was Vision.

It didn't take words for Rhodey and Vision to coordinate. They just looked at each other for a moment before Vision before started mowing through the fleeing Chitauri like the Grim Reaper in person. He punched one hard enough that his fist rammed clean through his chest, then his gem glowed again, and he shot a beam that cut in half at least twenty other Chitauri.

Rhodey smirked and flew up to him, readying his own weapons to take out the few survivors.

But then it happened.

Vision was attached from behind. Rhodey could only watch in horror as a blade cut through the android's abdomen. Vision screamed as the wielder of the blade viciously lifted him off the ground.

War Machine charged his repulsors to full powers, flying to the side and blasting the alien asshole with everything he had. Vision fell to the ground as Rhodey continued his barrage against his assailant. Until he, too, was attacked.

A punch that made the metal of his armor groan in protest sent him reeling. Rhodey fell hard on the ground and stopped only a few feet away from the massive crater he had nearly been trapped into.

He got to his feet immediately, ignoring the pain in his midsection and also whatever had just attacked him, instead running up to Vision: "Vis! Hey!" he called.

The android pushed himself up into a sitting position: "The blade... It stopped me from phasing..."

Rhodey didn't know what to make of it: "Is that bad?"

"It's not supposed to happen..." Vision groaned.

Rhodey heard a sinister laugh. He grabbed Vision and slowly pulled him to his feet as they finally saw who had attacked them.

These were not Chitauri. In front of them stood three new individuals.

The man who had attacked Vision was skinny and dressed in a black tunic with a hood, and his weapon was a staff of some sort that ended with a blade. Next to him was another man, every bit as big and imposing as the Hulk, with scaly brown skin and a reptilian-looking face. He was the one that had punched Rhodey to the ground. The third was a woman with horns and an expression that made Rhodey's blood chill just by looking at her.

_Looks like these are the big shots..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hulk being scared by Thanos into not fighting anymore was actually a plausible explanation, but I went a different route because I want to explore the full extent of the powers of Supergiant and the rest of the Black Order. Many of them have tricks up their sleeves that will be revealed as the story progresses...


	4. Double Skirmish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers try to contain the Black Order...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case too long has passed since Tony's Girl, here's the current Avengers roster in this universe:
> 
> \- James Rhodes / War Machine (Leader)  
> \- Tony Stark / Iron Man  
> \- Friday Stark / Lady Iron  
> \- Hope Van Dyne / Wasp  
> \- Jim Paxton / Yellowjacket  
> \- Vision  
> \- Peter Parker / Spiderman  
> \- Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow  
> \- Sharon Carter / Agent 13  
> \- Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel

Friday could hardly believe her eyes.

Hordes of aliens, perfectly recognizable as Chitauri, had started pouring out of the two spaceships and shooting things left and right, at random and without any coordination whatsoever, evidently with the sole purpose of causing the maximum destruction possible. Her scanners could not see inside of the two big spaceships, but so far, almost two thousands Chitauri had come out of them.

And counting.

Her shoulder launchers opened and she unleashed some of her heatseekers against the biggest groups, hoping to kill as many as possible with every explosion. They fell by the dozens under her missiles, but more and more just kept coming.

An energy beam hit her square in the back, and given her extremely low altitude at that moment, she ended up crashing on the ground. Several Chitauri tried to rush her, but she quickly rolled onto her back and sliced them all in half with one of her wrist lasers.

No other Chitauri attacked her. Friday looked up to the sky, and she clearly saw that they were spreading out.

_It's a diversion,_ she realized, _Maw sent them out to destroy the city so we'd be distracted trying to save the people, and we wouldn't be able to help Strange... That bastard!_

She had just managed to get back on her feet, trying to think of a solution, when something weird happened: a tree right next to her snapped in half, without anything hitting it. The upper part of the trunk levitated for a moment and then flew away.

Friday turned, and saw immediately what was happening.

Peter and Wong were still trying to contain Supergiant. The woman had reached out with her powers and telekinetically taken hold of the tree, hoping to use the jagged, broken lower end of the trunk as a sort of spear to impale one of her opponents, both of whom seemed still unaware of the threat.

_No!_

She flew up to them, surpassing the flying tree and reaching them just in time to shove Wong out of the way, ducking right in the nick of time for the unorthodox weapon to fly harmlessly over her head. Spiderman had clearly used his 'Spidey-sense', as he liked to call it, to realize the danger and move out of harm's way on his own.

She turned, now flanked by Wong and Peter. Supergiant smirked at them and raised her hands: four more trees broke off from the side of the road and floated in the air right behind her, together with the first one.

"Let's play a game," the alien jeered before hurling the five makeshift spears at them.

Friday blasted one and Wong another, incinerating them. Peter could only dodge the third, but that left him open for the last two, both coming at him. Friday managed to turn and blow another one up, but the other was flew right towards Peter. He dodged again, but the tree turned and started to fly back towards him...

And then it stopped, engulfed in an all too familiar scarlet mist, before it exploded like shattered glass, the splinters that showered the combatants easily shrugged off by Friday's armour, Peter's suit and Wong's mystic shields.

Wanda Maximoff was there, a hundred feet behind them, her hands engulfed in her signature red tendrils and her irises the color of blood, as she stared down Supergiant.

"You dare, human?" the alien snarled.

Friday clenched her fists as she took in Maximoff's appearance. She was even wearing her old uniform - the one Boss had payed for. It grated on Friday's nerves that, in all probability, this was exactly what Rogers was counting on back when he had gone rogue and left Boss in Siberia to die: that some threat to the world would arise so that he and his ass-kissers would come back as the heroes of the day.

And now, Wendy the Whiny Witch was right there to seize the opportunity.

Friday gritted her teeth, because as much as she hated to admit it, they did need help right now. The five of them alone would never make it against Maw, Supergiant and all their Chitauri.

She could only hope that the Committee wasn't gonna get blinded by the Witch's little 'show of good will and effort to make amends'. But that was a problem for later.

Peter, on the other hand, wasn't so keen on leaving it be, even if just for now: "What the hell is _she_ doing here?" he asked Wong, pointing at Wanda.

"You know, it's rude to talk about someone when they're right in front of you," Wanda replied raising her voice to be heard even at the distance she was from them.

_Oh great, so she woke up in full Scarlet Bitch mode today,_ Friday thought, narrowing her eyes dangerously at the newcomer.

"Okay," Spiderman turned to her, "what the hell are you doing here?" he repeated to the woman herself.

"What do you think? I came to help you out!" the Witch replied.

There was a weird inflexion in her voice... much to Friday's surprise, despite her harsh words she didn't sound entitled and bratty like she did almost three years ago. She actually sounded sincere and even somehow eager to prove herself capable of actually helping.

Peter wasn't of her same opinion: "Yeah, sure! We have already seen you 'helping out', and personally I like my brain the way it is, thank you very much!"

Wanda visibly flinched at Peter's words, but Friday couldn't find it within herself to feel gleeful seeing it. Not this time; not in this situation. She swallowed through her unease as she turned back to Supergiant, and saw the alien was once again advancing towards them. Now was not the time: "Spiderman, we'll deal with that later."

Peter turned to her: "What? But she-"

"Is a despicable human being, and very few people hate her more than I do," Friday interrupted him, "but we can't make it on our own right now."

As if to confirm her words, Supergiant made a gesture with her hand that opened a big crevasse right in the middle of the street. It cut right between Peter and Friday and moved towards Wanda, who was forced to dive to her left to avoid being swallowed by it.

"Alright, fine!" Peter said, slightly exhasperated, "We'll deal with the alien bitch first, then with the Sokovian one," he added, shooting his webs to a building behind him before pulling himself up by his webs to gain higher ground and attack the alien woman from above.

"Wanda!" Wong called, "They want the Time Stone! Strange needs help!" he ordered, pointing towards Strange and Maw in the distance. Wanda nodded to him and took off towards them. A moment later, Wong joined Peter in attacking Supergiant again.

Friday was about to go help them when Boss called: "Fri, we need to try and contain the Chitauri! We can't let them spread out in the city!" he shouted.

Friday sucked it up and went on the offensive. At least for now Maximoff was away from Boss.

***

Tony was struggling. He was starting to think these effing aliens were Hydra fanboys: every time he shot one down, two more took its place.

"Boss, there's too many of them!" Friday shouted in his comm as they both tried their best to contain the horde of aliens that just kept coming at them like an avalanche.

He knew Friday was right. This obviously wasn't working: "Jocasta, come in! Do you hear me?" he called.

"Boss!" the young AI's voice responded immediately, "Situation here at the Compound is critical, the East wing has been completely destroyed!" she reported, her Scottish lilt even more pronounced than usual because of the frantic note in her voice.

Tony could only pray that Rhodey, Vision and the others were still all right. He wanted nothing more than to rush to their aid, but right now he couldn't: "Is the armory still operational?" he asked.

"Yes, Boss... The armory hasn't sustained any damage yet," the AI replied.

Tony weighed his options. His armor had already taken quite a lot of blows, and while none of them had been critical, they still amounted to quite a lot of damage. His repulsors and lasers were still fully operational and he still retained full flight capability, but the main reactor had been damaged and was now working at only seventy-two per cent capacity. Four of his auxiliary reactors were offline as well, and he was almost out of missiles.

Mark 49 wasn't gonna hold out much longer.

He quickly came to a decision: it was time to switch to the heavy weaponry.

"Deploy Iron Destroyer," he ordered grimly.

"Boss, no! It's too dangerous!" Friday exclaimed worriedly in his comm, "Mark 50 is not battle-ready yet, it will put too much pressure on your-"

"We don't have a choice, Fri," Tony stopped her. "Jo, deploy it," he repeated, trying to sound as calm and determined as possible.

Even Jocasta sounded unsure as she answered him: "Iron Man armour: Mark 50 Iron Destroyer, deploying now."

***

A missile-like object shot out from the armory flying like a bat out of hell towards New York City. Neither Rhodey, nor Vision, nor their opponents noticed it, too busy in their battle to the death. Only a few Chitauri tried to shoot it, but the thing, whatever it was, was simply too fast. They didn't even try to chase it down.

The three commanders were in a completely different league than the Chitauri they were leading. Rhodey was running low on ammunition, and to make matters worse, a punch from the big one had broken an actuator on his right armpit. He was still able to move the arm pretty well, but the broken piece of the armor pressing into the top of his ribcage was rather uncomfortable, and it even hindered his breathing a little.

"They even had to have their own Hulk," he groaned as he shot more missiles against him and the woman.

The other man was engaging Vision: he lashed out with his glaive, grazing Vision on the chest, but the android barely flinched and retaliated with the Mind Stone, blasting him right in the face. The man was able to parry the shot with his glaive, but Vision pressed on, powering up the energy beam even more, and the alien struggled to hold it: his feet dragged on the ground as he was pushed back by Vision's beam, struggling to find a grip and counterattack.

But just when it looked like Vision was about to break through his defenses, the Chitauri came back: at least thirty of them concentrated their fire on Vision, who was forced to break the attack.

"Vision!" Rhodey shouted, rushing towards him, only for the big guy to punch him again, sending him flying for about fifty feet before he managed to stop himself mid-air with his repulsors.

"Don't get distracted, human," he growled in a low, menacing voice, "It might cost you dearly."

"So true," came Carol's voice from behind the alien monster, right before she struck the side of his head with a roundhouse kick. The alien was sent flying before falling face first on the ground, one hundred feet from where he had stood only moments before.

Rhodey turned to her: "Nat and Sharon?"

"They're alive, but they're trapped under the debris. We're on our own," she answered gravely.

Rhodey turned to face the three aliens, who were once again regrouping in front of them. To his left, Carol looked almost completely unfazed, but to his right, Vision was holding the massive stab wound on his side, hunched forward and with a pained expression. Rhodey didn't know how the hell he was still fighting in his conditions.

Carol looked grimly at the three freaks in front of them: "I think it's time for Round Two," she seethed.

"Joy oh joy," Vision replied.

Rhodey smirked at Vision's sarcasm. Tony would be so proud of him right now.

"Let's go," he encouraged.

***

It had taken exactly thirty-two seconds for the Iron Destroyer armor to reach the battlefield in New York City. Tony was still flying as the new suit positioned right underneath him, the transportation pod breaking off and the nanites extending and growing out of the high-capacity Arc Reactor, morphing into the full armor.

Tony shot all his remaining missiles at the Chitauri before he ejected from Mark 49 and fell for about ten feet, landing right into the embrace of his fiftieth suit of armor.

"It's DDT time, insect-guys!" he growled.

As the damaged 'Ninja' armor disengaged and headed for the Tower, Tony immediately tipped the odds of the battle.

Iron Destroyer's nanotech repulsors packed a punch that his prevoius suits could only dream of. Each and every shot he fired now mowed through dozens and dozens of Chitauri. Scared off by the sudden onslaught, the aliens now tried their best to run away from the newly empowered Iron Man, but he was simply too fast. He started chasing them down and blowing them into oblivion one by one.

Now Lady Iron could barely keep up with him, but she was worried: she knew there was a price to pay for Iron Destroyer's firepower.

They couldn't drag this battle on any further. They had to end this now.

Luckily, to make matters worse for the alien assailants, quite a lot of reinforcements finally joined the battle. The first five F-22 Raptors appeared on Friday's radar in a V formation, inbound from east-south-east. They broke off and started engaging the Chitauri flying chariots just as four convoys of Humvees and armored trucks from the Army and National Guard started entering the perimeter, all from different directions.

It was a disorganized first line of defence, but still better than nothing. More jet fighters started to converge on the battlefield, and soon it became clear that the Chitauri's offensive was losing momentum as their ranks were finally starting to thin out.

The situation in the sky was slowly but gradually getting under control.

But on the ground, the real battle was about to be lost.

***

Carol was simply amazing. She was holding her own perfectly against both the big guy and the several Chitauri that were swarming her almost continuously. But Rhodey and Vision didn't have much time to admire her.

The other guy and the woman were getting even more ferocious.

A stray Chitauri had landed a lucky hit on Rhodey's left shoulder, right in the joint between the armored plates, and further damaged his suit. Then the woman attacked him again.

After a while, the skinny guy had managed to pin Vision to the ground and was trying to rip the Stone off his forehead with his glaive. Rhodey was still fighting the woman and could only watch in horror as Vision screamed in pain.

But then, the man was forced to jump off Vision to avoid a flying dagger thrown at him from his left.

It was the Asgardian, Lady Sif.

Everybody stilled in seeing the warrior maiden finally up. She looked pissed, but Rhodey could see that she was still pale and weak. Even her stance was a bit off. Three weeks of coma couldn't just be shrugged off like nothing, not even by an Asgardian.

"I know you," the alien growled at her in recognition: "You were on Vanaheim, trying to fend off Surtur. With... less than success, I might add," he sneered.

Sif looked at him with a nasty smile: "I was no match for the King of Muspelheim, true. You, however? You, I can take on without problems," she sneered back.

The alien lost his cool at Sif's answer. He immediately went on the attack with his glaive, but Sif parried him with her sword, pushing him back. The second attack went even worse for him: Sif swinged at him, forcing him to dodge, and when it seemed she was opened for a counterattack, a second blade shot out of the hilt of her sword, grazing the guy on his cheek.

Rhodey smirked, shooting down two Chitauri chariots and preparing to attack the alien woman who was now fighting Vision. Maybe now they had a chance to tip the odds.

***

Hundreds of thoughts and emotions were crossing Wanda's mind.

She could see _him_ tearing through the sky, his sleek armor shining in the sun as he took down those repulsive aliens with devastating precision and ruthlessness. It was almost scary for her: in the ignorance of her years in Sokovia, as she wasted her life poisoning herself with twisted dreams of revenge, this was how she had always envisioned the Merchant of Death.

Only in her dreams, he was destroying the world, not trying to save it. He was murdering innocent people, not disgusting alien beasts.

But now she saw him with startling clarity. She could see that Tony Stark, this beautiful armored angel who was trying his best to save the world once again, was possibly the greatest hero that had ever lived.

It was why she had... _fallen for him._

She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying desperately to drive that thought away. She couldn't afford to think about that right now.

Now, for the first time in years, she was again fighting at Iron Man's side. It had only ever happened once before, when her mind was still so clouded by hatred that she had laid all the blame at his feet, when actually they were only fighting because of her own actions. Because Ultron had ultimately been _her_ fault.

No more.

This time she would do her part. This time, she would stand at his side and give it her all.

Friday Stark, the Spiderman, Doctor Strange, master Wong, even Tony himself. She would show them how much she had changed. Destiny had given her one more chance, and dammit, she was gonna make it count.

She looked right ahead of her, less than four hundred yards down the road: Doctor Strange was in trouble. She had to help him.

***

Maw had Strange at his mercy. He had shoved him against a wall and telekinetically moved the bricks around him to entrap him completely. The Master of the Mystic Arts couldn't move a finger.

"Good game, sorcerer. But it's over now," Maw sneered trying to grab the Eye of Agamotto...

...only to have his hand burned for the trouble.

He hissed in pain and recoiled slightly, glancing back at Strange with a crossed face.

"Just a little enchantment that is impossible to break," Strange explained smugly.

Maw's face twisted in rage: "Then I'll just take it from your corpse!" he threatened.

Strange scoffed: "I wouldn't do that either... It's a bit difficult to break an enchantment form a dead man," he retaliated.

Maw growled in frustration: "Very well... I know other methods to obtain what I want," he informed him, right before breaking off the portion of wall holding Strange and flying away with it.

His mission was to get the Stone. It would hardly matter if it had a human attached to it.

He moved back towards his spaceship, when suddenly a red, glowing barrier blocked his path.

He turned.

Behind him stood a young woman. Probably a friend of the stone keeper, judging by her magic. He could feel it: this woman had been touched by an Infinity Stone.

An interesting specimen.

"Let him go," the girl ordered him.

Maw sneered, slowly lowering himself to the ground. As soon as he dismounted the floating piece of pavement he was riding on, he sent the stone keeper, still encased in his brick prison, hurling towards his spaceship.

"No!" the woman yelled, trying to reach for her associate with her powers. That was exactly the opening Maw was looking for.

He went on the attack with a kinetic burst of compressed air and the girl took the full brunt of the attack. She went down, but he was rather surprised when she got back to her feet. She probably managed to create a barrier with her powers to at least partially shield herself from his concussive blast.

Interesting indeed.

She lashed out with her powers, and Maw was forced to dodge.

They started trading blows with their telekinesis, and Maw was left impressed: most of her attacks, he couldn't parry. They were just too powerful, forcing him to dodge instead. This witch was very powerful indeed.

But she lacked precision, finesse. She lashed out without thinking, hoping to get lucky. Which meant victory was already his.

She attacked him again soon enough, and he used a doppelganger illusion to make it look like she had effectively struck him. She lowered her guard and he managed to sneak up behind her.

She managed to sense the danger, but it was too late. As she turned to strike him again, Maw put a hand on her forehead and made her lose consciousness in an instant.

He could have ended her then and there, but it would truly have been a waste. This woman's power came from an Infinity Stone... and the almighty Thanos could appreciate power when he saw it.

His decision made, Ebony Maw ripped off a nearby lamp post with his telekinesis, before wrapping it around the unconscious woman at his feet, keeping her from moving in case she woke up. He then returned to his spaceship.

***

Despite the Air Force, the Army and the National Guard joining the fight, the Chitauri were still wreaking havoc. Two of the Air Force's fighters had already been shot down, and one more had been damaged badly enough that it was forced to retreat. Comms were still scrambled by whatever system the aliens were using to isolate the Earth, so it was unlikely that more reinforcements were coming. A few other fighters had tried strafing and even shooting missiles at the two big, circular spaceships from where the Chitauri kept coming, but to no avail. They were protected by some kind of energy field. Even Tony's repulsors were ineffective.

And then, the weirdest random thought crossed Tony's mind.

_Sneaky bastards..._

"Friday," he called, "I need you to connect to every satellite available! We are looking for very big, unidentified flying objects in Earth's close proximity!"

Friday was a little surprised by the sudden request: "Unidentified flying objects? You mean more alien spaceships?"

"Chitauri motherships," Tony specified, "somehow they need to be close to the ground troops to keep them alive. Last time they used a portal, but this time I don't see one. There must be a mothership close to Earth somehow. Maybe even in our upper atmosphere," he said, still shooting down more alien beasts.

"We take out the mothership, we kill all the Chitauri at once," Friday realized. "Okay, Boss, I'm on it," she replied determinedly.

It took her only two minutes to find what she was looking for.

"Found it!" she yelled, "It's just outside of our upper atmosphere, over the Atlantic Ocean, about a hundred miles from our position! Relaying the coordinates to the Air Force now!"

Tony inwardly exulted. If that thing was over the Atlantic they could shoot it down without worrying about it falling on top of anyone.

"We need a strike on that thing immediately!" Tony shouted, "it took a nuclear warhead to blow one of those up in 2012, so tell them to prep one in case a normal cruise missile doesn't do the trick!"

He didn't get a response.

"Friday?" he called.

"I'm trying, Boss, but the communications are still down... Jocasta said they isolated the entire planet somehow, and they're affecting the NORAD systems too!"

_Damn it!_ They were screwed if they didn't destroy that mothership immediately!

"Keep trying, Friday! We need-"

"Boss, they're leaving!" Friday interrupted him.

"What?" Tony demanded. He turned towards the two spaceships and saw that one was taking off.

"Shit! Where's Strange?"

"I can't see him, Boss..." Friday answered frantically. She started to connect to every traffic camera in the area - at least those who were still operational. She immediately found one that was pointed towards the alien spaceships: at one point Strange, imprisoned into what looked like a portion of a brick wall, flew up into an opening on the side of the hull of Ebony Maw's spaceship and disappeared inside.

"They've taken him, Boss! He's on that ship!" she shouted.

"Mother fucker!" Tony cursed, shooting off towards the fleeing spaceship.

***

Peter was starting to think this woman was just toying with him. Everytime he tried to attack her, she just shrugged him off like a mosquito. Even Karen couldn't find any potential weakness that he could exploit. The wizard's magical attacks seemed a tad more effective, but even he wasn't able to harm her in any significant way.

At some point, one of the two spaceships he aliens had arrived in started to take off. The woman turned to it and smiled: "Ebony Maw has completed our mission," she said with an evil smirk, "It's time to bid you farewell, humans," she added, raising her hands and blasting them backwards with a telekinetic wave of compressed air.

Peter crashed into the side of a car, denting a door. The wizard ended up on the sidewalk.

"Are you alright?" Peter asked as he got back to his feet.

"I'm fine," the wizard replied with a pained expression, "don't let her get away!" he said, pointing towards the woman. When Peter looked in the direction the wizard was pointing at, he saw that the second spaceship was also taking off.

"Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed, webbing himself to the closest building and starting to swing towards the fleeing spaceship.

***

Tony was never gonna catch the first spaceship; it was already exiting the stratosphere. Even Friday wasn't gonna make it, despite being much closer to it than he was. But the second was just taking off. Friday veered back towards it and even Tony changed his course to pursue it instead of the first one.

"Boss, I've tried on all the available frequencies! I can't contact the armed forces!" Friday yelled in his comms.

_Shit!_ Tony thought. They couldn't take care of that mothership themselves!

"Jocasta!" he called.

"I'm here, Boss!" Friday's sister answered immediately.

"We have a Chitauri mothership sitting at the edge of our atmosphere over the Atlantic, and we need to nuke it! You guys need to inform the military from the Compound, we are completely isolated here! Friday, send her the coordinates!"

"Done, Boss!" Friday replied.

"I'm informing Colonel Rhodes and trying to contact the Air Force," Jocasta reported.

Just as Tony was about to acknowledge them, he saw Peter web himself to the second spaceship, just as it started to gain altitude.

"Kid! What the hell are you doing!?" Tony asked worriedly.

***

"Colonel Rhodes! Colonel, do you hear me!?"

Rhodey had just swooped down and grabbed Lady Sif, whisking her away from a combined strike of a dozen Chitauri chariots all converging on her and trying to take her out: "I hear you, Jo! What's up?"

"There's a Chitauri mothership over the North Atlantic, about one hundred miles away from the coastline! If we destroy it, all the Chitauri will die at once, just like they did in 2012!"

Rhodey smirked. This had to be Tony's idea: "Alright, Jo! Call the Air Force and have them-"

"That's the point, Colonel! Neither Friday nor I are able to contact the Air Force! Communications are still down!" Jocasta interrupted him.

Fuck it all! Couldn't they have a tiny bit of luck for a change!?

Alright. If the Air Force wasn't gonna do it...

"Carol, did you get that?" he called in his comm.

"Yeah... I think I can make it, but will you be able to hold out without me?" she replied.

"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" Rhodey asked rhetorically as he landed close to Vision, who was now fending off both the woman and the big guy.

As soon as he landed, Lady Sif lashed out with her sword, striking the big one in the upper left arm. The giant howled in pain, before counterattacking. Sif was still too weak from her coma, her reflexes still too slow, to manage to avoid the punch coming her way completely. She stumbled back, landing on her back, and was barely able to roll out of the way before her opponent stomped on the ground so hard he made it shake.

"Back in 2012 Tony used a nuclear warhead to take one of those things out," Rhodey informed Carol, "I don't know if that was overkill or not, Tony didn't have much of a choice in weaponry that time... But in case it wasn't, you think you can make it?"

"...I'll try my best," Carol replied, not entirely convinced but not ruling out the possibility either, "Hold on, I'll be back soon!"

With that, she flew off, effortlessly incinerating several Chitauri trying to block her path.

Rhodey sighed wearily as he once again grabbed both Sif and Vision and flew away, trying to take cover or at least gain some distance.

He landed in the middle of the woods surrounding the Compound: "We haven't been properly introduced yet," he said to the woman, "Lady Sif of Asgard, right?"

She just nodded.

"James Rhodes, but you can call me Rhodey. These guys want the gem in my friend's forehead," he said, pointing to Vision's face.

"I guessed that much," she replied, "is that an Infinity Stone?"

"So I'm told," Rhodey confirmed. "My other friend is off to take care of all their minions, but for now we need to hold them off..."

She turned in the direction of the Compound, her face grim: "I'm ready," she said, just as the first Chitauri started to fly over their heads, shooting blindly against the trees.

***

As the spaceship climbed higher and higher into the sky, Friday could see Peter clinging desperately to it. The sense of dread she was feeling in that moment was impossible to describe with words.

She turned to look behind her, and saw Boss still behind them, trying to reach them. The nanites on his suit had moved to join his legs together to form a single, gigantic repulsor under his feet.

His flight speed increased instantly and dramatically, but Friday was worried: she herself was using the Extremis superchargers in her suit turned up to the maximum to try and reach the spaceship, and she was already starting to feel winded. If Boss used Iron Destroyer at it's maximum power...

_One thing at a time._ First of all, she had to try and get a hold of Peter.

Boss was still too far away and wasn't able to contact neither Peter nor Karen. Damn scrambled communications.

However, Friday was now very close, so maybe she was gonna have better luck: "Peter, can you hear me? Peter, come in!"

She heard heavy breathing before Peter actually answered: "I think I overexerted myself a little..." he said, barely able to speak.

"Friday, It's Karen," a new voice replied, "We're too high up! Peter is running out of air!" she said worriedly.

Friday gritted her teeth. If she grabbed Peter and brought him back, she would never be able to catch this ship again.

There was only one thing for it. She had authorization to give orders to Karen in case of emergency, and if this wasn't an emergency, she didn't know what was.

"Karen, unlock 17-A!" she told her sister.

They had to wait almost a full minute and before a pod similar to the one that had carried the Iron Destroyer suit to New York City reached them. Peter was barely holding onto the spaceship, only with one arm now.

Karen was sending her the scans of his vitals in real time, and they were plummeting. He was gonna faint any moment.

"Let go, Peter! We got you!" Friday said. Right then, Peter lost his grip on the ship and started to free-fall. The pod broke off, and the Iron Spider armor wrapped itself around Peter. His vitals immediately stabilized, and he webbed himself back onto the spaceship.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, "It smells like a new car in here!"

"Yeah," Boss replied, finally having closed the distance enough to make radio contact. His voice was still a bit distorted by static, but they could hear him clearly enough, "Happy trails, kid. Karen, send him home," he ordered.

Was it just Friday's impression or was his voice a little strained? God, it was happening sooner than she expected...

"Yup," Karen replied to Boss' order, deploying Peter's parachute. "Aw, come on!" Peter protested as he was launched off the ship.

She detected a small porthole on the side of the ship that was slowly closing. They could get in from there...

"You too, Friday. Disengage now," Boss ordered then.

"What!?" She couldn't have heard right, could she?

"It's too dangerous this time," Boss insisted.

"Exactly!" Friday protested, "Have you forgotten my main directives? I have to protect you at all costs!"

"I don't want you to get hurt! I need you to-"

"Boss, I can't leave you here alone! That Supergiant woman was holding her own against me, Peter and Mr. Wong together, and we know she's on this spaceship, maybe with a few leftover Chitauri! Even with Iron Destroyer, you can't take her on your own!" she reasoned in a pleading voice.

Boss didn't answer immediately. _Come on, Dad... You know I'm right..._

She heard him sigh: "Alright, fine!" he caved.

Friday let out a breath of relief at his permission. She managed to grab the edge of the porthole and lift herself into the ship. Boss followed only a few seconds later, managing to slip in right before it closed completely.

Lower down on the ship, another porthole was closing. Peter looked down as the Earth got more and more distant, before it was blocked from view as the porthole closed.

"You just had to web yourself to the ship, didn't you?" Karen asked crossly, "Dad and Friday are gonna kill me!"

"I'm sorry, Karen," Peter replied a bit distractedly.

_I'm not leaving Tony and Friday alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Iron Man armour Mark 50 - Iron Destroyer is the same Tony has in Avengers: Infinity War. Only here it's even more powerful because it's supercharged with Extremis. BUT, it's an untested prototype, and as Friday suspects, it has a drawback...
> 
> Also, Cull Obsidian speaks. Not much, but he does. In the movie he just growled XD...


	5. A Bloody Draw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle at the Avnegers Compound ends, not without casualties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should warn you: this fic is tagged 'Major Character Death' not only because some major characters are gonna die, but also because A LOT of characters are gonna die. Starting this chapter.
> 
> It's a universal war. It was bound to happen.

Carol was flying over the ocean as fast as she could. It had been just fifteen minutes since she left the Compound, but it felt like an eternity.

Rhodey and the others were still there, trying to fend off a massive Chitauri army and those three freaks commanding them. She had to be quick; they couldn't resist much longer. Vision was badly wounded, Rhodey's armor was damaged, and the Asgardian had just barely recovered from a coma.

She felt like she had been flying over the open sea for hours, when actually it had been less than fifteen minutes. There still wasn't any sign of that blasted Chitauri mothership, and Carol was growing more and more worried.

_Could it have moved away from its position?_ she wondered. She considered calling Rhodey to get confirmation, but the long range communications were still scrambled. She couldn't contact the Avengers this far out over the sea.

However, all of a sudden, she finally found what she was looking for: two Chitauri chariots came down from above trying to shoot her. They couldn't have come from New York or from the compound, they were too far away from the coastline...

She dispatched them effortlessly and looked up. Her face stretched into a slightly homicidal grin: "There you are," she muttered to herself.

The ship was huge, a gigantic floating sphere with four big, arm-like appendages extending from the main body and curling backwards behind it. Several more Chitauri chariots were guarding it.

It was time for them to meet their maker.

The Chitauri army seemed organized in divisions of sorts, but she did 't know how (or even if) the groups communicated with one another. She wondered if the Chitauri that were guarding the mothership had received any news from their friends at the Compound, but she guessed they hadn't. If they had, they would have known they stood no chance against her and would have tried to flee.

Instead, they charged at her all at once. Foolish beasts.

Carol mowed through the chariots coming at her like a snowplower, without even changing her trajectory or slowing her ascent towards the mothership. She was resistant enough to shrug off all of their weapons as if they were nothing, and if some of these beasts got in her way, she simply crashed into them, destroying them completely without sustaining even the faintest scratch herself.

The closer she got to the spaceship, the more the Chitauri seemed to increase in both number and determination. Carol was approaching the edge of Earth's atmosphere, and she was starting to feel it: the air was getting thinner and thinner.

The mothership was hovering about a mile, maybe a couple kilometers higher than she was now. Smart move: there was likely no air at all for her to breathe at that altitude. If she was gonna do this, she'd better really put her back into it and end that ship as soon as possible: she really wasn't a fan of fighting in open space without breathing.

_Alright, here goes nothing,_ she thought. She took a deep breath, trying to take in as much oxygen as she could, and propelled herself upward towards the giant spaceship.

***

The three leaders were advancing slowly into the half-burnt wood surrounding the Avengers Compound. They were simply strolling forward keeping some distance from each other, like a pack of hounds trying to drive a prey out of its hiding spot.

Rhodey was out of ideas as he peeked at the woman of the group from behind a fallen, burning tree. He only had four missiles left, then he would have to get himself out of trouble only using his repulsors. And the right hand one seemed a little low on power too.

The woman lashed out with her staff in frustration, cutting two trees clean in half: "You can't run from us, android! Give us the stone and we might let your friends live!" she shouted.

Rhodey gritted his teeth. These guys shrugged off normal bullets as if they were raindrops, and none of them appeared to be significantly hurt. What could he do with only four missiles?

It was also clear at this point that the Air Force wasn't coming. Comms were still scrambled, so they couldn't coordinate, but Jocasta had managed to inform him that in New York, the alien ships were protected by some energy fields that made fighter strikes completely ineffective. They were probably going to concentrate their efforts down there for now...

The frustration he felt in that moment made him grit his teeth and clench his fists. _Hope is hurt... These bastards hurt her..._

How he hated himself in that moment for not having the power to rip each of their hearts off their chests with his bare hands.

He could only hope that Paxton would manage to get her to safety somehow. Because it looked pretty unlikely that he, Sif and Vision were gonna make it out. Not with all those Chitauri around.

He was a Colonel. A soldier. He knew when a battle was lost, and he knew they couldn't possibly hope to win this. They were doomed.

He was scared, but he narrowed his eyes: _Well, you know what? If I'm gonna die here, I'm gonna go out kicking their asses! They hurt Hope, and so help me God I'm gonna make them pay!_ he vowed to himself, clenching his fists. _Come on, Rhodey, think!_

He turned to look behind him: Vision was propped against a rock in a sitting position, looking at him with a grim, almost resigned expression, while Sif was looking in the opposite direction, somewhere behind Vision. Rhodey shifted, trying to make as little noise as possible.

The big alien was there, looking for them. And Rhodey noted that he was cradling his arm against his body. It was bleeding quite a lot from where Sif had struck him.

Rhodey pursed his lips. He hadn't planned to take on the strongest of the three, but if he was wounded and they were three against one...

Sif turned to him. Judging by the look in his eyes, she was thinking exactly the same thing.

"Vision," Rhodey whispered, turning to the android, "the alien Hulk there is wounded... Maybe if we all rush him together we have a chance," he said, trying to sound encouraging. _And then the other two and all of their Chitauri will be on us,_ he thought, but didn't say.

It was possible that Vision had thought about it too, because he raised his eyes and looked at two Chitauri chariots that sped past them overhead, still trying to find them.

Evidently Carol had not reached the mothership yet, or she had reached it but she hadn't been able to take it out. Either way, they didn't have any more time. The three commanders were all closing on their positions, it was a matter of seconds before they were spotted.

"Well," Vision started wearily, "there's always the possibility that if we eliminate the strongest in their group, it will scare them off," he said with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

It was just wishful thinking, and they all knew it. But Rhodey returned the smile before turning to Sif: "Are you up for this?"

She gave him a determined look: "If this is where I die, then I'll make Thanos pay a hefty price for my head," she growled, "the life of one of his generals will do."

Rhodey nodded, turning back towards the gigantic being in front of him.

He was snarling and growling in frustration, just like the woman behind them. Maybe he was even more pissed, considering the wounded arm.

"Alright guys," Rhodey declared, "on my mark..."

***

The closer she got to the big spaceship, the more Chitauri rained down on her trying to stop her. Fighting them off without breathing was not ideal, but she had to make it. Rhodey and the others were counting on her.

She was out of the atmosphere entirely at this point. The temperature was dropping lower and lower by the second, but the Chitauri didn't seem like they were even feeling it. She was starting to lose her patience.

She pulled her right arm back, charging her fist with all her power before propelling herself even faster towards the ship. Now the Chitauri couldn't even come close to her without being completely burned by her explosive power.

And then, she reached it.

_Die, spaceship!_

She closed her eyes and swinged her fist, literally punching through the outer hull as if it was made of paper. She kept her eyes closed as she drove herself deeper and deeper into the bowels of the ship, but she could hear the whine of metal distorting under her attack, combined with the sickening, squelching noise of organic bodies being crushed by her unstoppable power.

She clenched her teeth and powered on, tearing through the entire hull and causing a chain reaction of explosions in her wake, until she finally shot out of the back of the spaceship, leaving a massive exit hole.

The effect was immediate: all of the Chitauri that had survived her charge immediately went limp and started to fall, attracted by the Earth's gravity.

The doomed mothership followed them.

Several explosion were still tearing apart what was left of its hull as it started to fall. One was powerful enough that one of the four 'arms' that extended from the central body was torn clean off.

Completely out of breath, Carol let herself fall as well, but there was a smile on her face.

As soon as they re-entered the atmosphere and Carol could breathe again, she managed to slow down her descent until she came to a complete stop. Still breathing heavily, she watched with dark satisfaction as the destroyed mothership below her finally detonated with a force similar to that of an atomic bomb.

The explosion was spectacular. Carol raised her arms to protect herself as she took the full brunt of the ensuing shockwave. When it finally relented, she smiled as she watched the debris fall down into the sea. They were so small that they were not even recognizeable.

"Should have stayed the fuck away from my planet," Carol scoffed, still trying to catch her breath.

***

"Now!" Rhodey yelled.

Both he and Sif rushed forward. Vision remained where he was, but shot a beam from the Mind Stone with all the strenght he had left.

The big guy was taken completely by surprise.

Vision struck him first, forcing him to block with his good arm. Rhodey took the opportunity to flank him, shooting all the four missiles he had left before opening up with the repulsors. Trying his best to protect himself from the blasts coming at him, he didn't even notice Lady Sif attacking him too.

She got the jump on him and swung her sword from above. And this time, she sliced his arm clean off.

The giant screamed and stumbled before finally falling down on one knee. He swung the other punch at Sif but she managed to dodge, then Rhodey's repulsors and Vision's stone blasted him again, and this time, he fell completely.

He was down.

But they didn't get to celebrate.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rhodey saw at least ten Chitauri chariots starting to charge at him. The guy with the glaive was running towards them too.

_Nope, we didn't scare 'em off,_ he thought as he prepared to counterattack as best as he could. Sif readied her sword, taking two steps back towards Vision, determined to protect him and deny these guys what they wanted for as long as she could.

Rhodey braced himself. But then, the tables unexpectedly turned.

Carol had completed her mission.

The Chitauri - all of them - fell dead right where they stood. It was so sudden and so unhoped for at this point, that it looked almost hilarious in its gruesomeness. It even took Rhodey a few seconds to realize what had truly happened.

_Way to go, Danvers!_ he cheered in his mind.

Even Sif and Vision were stunned by the sudden development. But the most unsettled were the two remaining aliens.

The woman was the first to show some kind of reaction, growling something too low to be heard and dropping back into a battle stance. Her associate followed suit. Rhodey and Sif did the same. Now that Alien Hulk and the Chitauri were out of the picture, they were finally in with a chance, Rhodey thought.

"You..."

All of them turned at the voice, and Rhodey felt a knot form in his throat.

The big guy was back on his feet. His left arm was but a stump, severed just under the elbow and bleeding profusely, and several cuts and burn marks from Vision and Rhodey's continued attacks marred his body, but he looked more pissed than wounded.

Rhodey's eyes bulged. _How!? We blasted that son of a bitch as hard as we could!_

"Miserable creatures!" the giant howled as he started to advance towards them.

He only took three steps before he was attacked again.

An enormous fist clad in a gray and yellow glove descended on him from above, hitting him on his head and shoulders and crushing him down, so hard that his legs sank into the ground almost up to his knees.

Both the Avengers and the two remaining aliens took a step back, their eyes wide open and their mouths agape.

Jim Paxton had grown to giant size out of nowhere and had attacked Alien Hulk. He was still hovering above him, using the flight system in his Yellowjacket suit to try and crush the alien for good, pushing down as hard as he could.

"See!? There's always someone bigger than you!" he said in a strained voice, still pushing down as the alien tried his best to push him away with his remaining hand and his shoulders.

"Paxton-"

"Sharon and Nat have managed to free themselves," Jim interrupted Rhodey, "Sharon is with Hope now," he reassured him.

"And Natasha?" asked Vision.

The answer to his question came in the form of several taser disks striking the other two aliens before they could attack. They were both enveloped in electricity and dropped to their knees.

Natasha was right behind them, her Widow Bites still raised against their opponents: "Did you call?" she asked with a smirk.

As the two smaller aliens stumbled under the shock of Natasha's bites, the big one managed to push Paxton away with a roar. He untangled himself from the ground and turned before jumping sixty feet in the air, determined to retaliate by ramming his fist straight through Paxton's head. However, just as he attacked, Yellowjacket shrunk down to his minimal size and propelled himself against him.

The giant actually stumbled on the impact, dropping back down and landing barely on his feet. Paxton grew back to his normal size, joining his comrades together with Natasha. The two aliens she had struck had also shrugged off her taser disks and regrouped.

Before an all-out brawl could start, however, two weird light beams coming from above them enveloped the aliens. As the Avengers looked up, they saw the two surviving spaceships hovering above them and the aliens being pulled towards them by the beams, the big guy in his own ship and the two smaller ones in the other. It took only a few seconds for them to disappear into their crafts.

"They're running away!" Nat shouted.

Paxton and Rhodey both tried to shoot a blast at one of the ships with their weapons, but it was absorbed by some sort of energy barrier. They didn't have the time to try again as the ships started to fly away.

Just as they disappeared in the sky, Vision stumbled and fell on his knees, his wounds and the fatigue of the fight finally getting the better of him.

"Vision!" Rhodey called.

"I'm alright... mostly," the android assured, his voice strained.

They all took a breath of relief. Sif sat down on the ground, tired from the prolonged fight, as Rhodey started to manually remove his badly damaged suit and Natasha helped Vision sit up.

Paxton's helmet retracted in the back of his suit: "Do you think it's over?" he asked.

"Not at all... They'll be back, very soon," Vision replied with certainty.

***

"Try again, Tadashi," Pepper ordered.

On the lower left corner of her HUD, the word CALLING appeared, written in red letters.

Finally, after a few endless moments in which only statics could be heard, a voice came through her speakers: "...engers Compound is clear... attack terminated... requesting-"

It cut off. Pepper tried again: "Jocasta? Jo, can you hear me? Repeat the last transmission if you hear me," she asked nervously.

"...tack has been aborted. Alien forces have retreated, but the Compound has sustained heavy damage. Mis- ...yne is in dire need of medical assist-"

Pepper cursed inwardly when static noise covered Jocasta's voice again. Something had been scrambling the communications systems all over the world for almost two hours, but Jocasta had been able to inform her of the attack a few minutes ago.

Pepper had been returning from Los Angeles in the Rescue armor. She had taken to use it a lot more lately, preferring it to the Stark Industries jets when she didn't have any luggage to carry with her. It was a good excuse to train with the suit and it was also... well, it was fun.

What _wasn't_ fun was the message Jocasta had managed to send her. Both the Compound and New York City had been the targets of a massive, coordinated alien attack. She had to hurry.

Luckily, she was almost there when the attack had started: "Tadashi, what's our ETA?" she asked her copilot when she couldn't hear Jocasta again.

"Six minutes and forty-four seconds, Okaasan," her AI replied in a thick Japanese accent.

That was not good enough: "Afterburners, Tad," she commanded.

All the flaps and spoilers on the armor's back and legs closed as it switched to maximum speed configuration, before zooming away at hypersonic speed.

***

"Hope!" Rhodey called as he slid down the rubble left on the sides of the crater where the East Wing of the Compound used to be.

At the bottom, Sharon was holding Hope in her lap, both hands pressed on the massive wound on her abdomen. Rhodey arrived like a steamroller, not even thinking of being careful as to not disturb the nearby debris to avoid them falling on top of them. now that the battle was over, he could only think about Hope.

"Rhodey! Rhodey, look at me!" Sharon called him, trying to calm him down: "The comm systems have started working again. We already have heli-ambulances en route, and Doctor Cho has also been alerted."

It was just a minor relief, but Rhodey still felt better. He let out a small breath: "You hear that, Hope? You're going to be fine, just hold on for a little while longer, okay? Hold on for me," he pleaded, taking her hand. Hope's eyes opened to slits and she turned her head slowly to look at him. She gave him a tired smile and a nod.

_God, she's so pale... She lost too much blood..._

"Colonel Rhodes, Lieutenant Colonel Danvers is returning. Miss Potts is also inbound with the Rescue suit," Jocasta informed him.

Rhodey looked up. Sure enough, less than twenty seconds later, Pepper's suit appeared in the sky right above him, stopping mid-air and dropping down next to them: "What happened here? Oh my God, Hope!" she shrieked.

"Pepper, you have to get her up to the courtyard!" Rhodey pleaded as soon as he saw her. He distantly wondered who was more scared right now, him or Pepper.

She crouched down next to them and took a couple seconds to steady herself, before gently slipping her arms underneath Hope's body and delicately picking her up. Hope winced, but didn't stir.

"Hope, you have to put pressure on the wound, " Sharon said, taking Hope's hand and putting it over the wound on her abdomen, "push as hard as you can, okay? Pepper's gonna get you out," she assured, before nodding to Pepper.

The other woman nodded back, then cautiously hovered up and out of the crater, gently depositing Hope on the fresh, trimmed grass of the front courtyard.

"It's gonna be okay, Hope," Pepper reassured her, though she supposed she was also reassuring herself. She didn't think she had ever seen so much blood.

"Pepper! We need help here!" Rhodey called.

She immediately turned back towards the crater. Rhodey and Sharon were already climbing out: "Where are Tony and Friday?" she asked immediately.

"They were in New York. Jo lost contact with them, they were fending off the attack there," Sharon answered.

Before she could call Jocasta to ask her the same question, Pepper was again called by Rhodey: "Pep, the panic room number three! Foster, Selvig and Lewis were in there!" Rhodey shouted, indicating in the general direction of the left side of the crater before running towards Hope.

Pepper turned in the direction Rhodey was pointing to: "Tadashi, scan," she said.

Immediately a scan of the rubble appeared on her display: "I detect one heat signature, Okaasan," Tadashi responded.

Pepper gulped. _Maybe they're all huddled together..._

She hovered to the part of the crater where the single heat signature came from: "What do i do?" she asked.

"You have to mind the precarious state of your surroundings if you don't wish to cause further collapses. The boulder to your left, pull it backwards towards you and let it fall," Tadashi replied calmly.

Pepper did as she was told, trying to adapt how much strenght she applied while moving the ruins to the armor's super strenght. After about ten minutes of digging and removing debris, she reached the three peole she was looking for.

"Oh God..." was all she managed to say before she had to turn behind her, dropping on her knees. She managed to retract her helmet just in time to avoid throwing up inside the armor.

Selvig had been almost completely crushed by an enormous piece of concrete. Pepper could only see his right arm and leg, but blood was pooling underneath the massive rock crushing him and trickling down the ruins. Foster was lying face down, impaled on a piece of rebar that had gone straight through her heart and spine. And that wasn't the worst part: her legs were both severed at the knees, possibly caught by the diabolical machine that had destroyed the East Wing.

Lewis was laying supine next to Foster, also impaled on rebar, one piece coming out of her right side and one about three inches below her solar plexus. She was unconscious, barely breathing. The only one left alive, and considering her injuries, probably for not much longer.

"Medical support has arrived," Tadashi announced grimly. Pepper looked up and saw three helicopters starting to land.

***

"Boss, are you okay?" Fridy asked, concerned.

Tony's breath was a little short, but he got to his feet immediately: "Yes, I'm fine. Come on, we have to... Friday?"

Suddenly, his daughter's gaze had become unfocused. She blinked a couple of times and stumbled back. Tony caught her, worried: "Friday, what's wrong!?" he asked.

"I... I feel a little lightheaded... I don't..."

Tony helped her sit down, not knowing what was happening: "Friday, talk to me, what's going on?"

Friday blinked again and shook her head, taking a few deep breaths. She opened her eyes and immediately looked better: "Okay..." she breathed slowly, still somewhat unfocused bus seemingly more into it.

"Okay?" Tony repeated, not getting it, "Okay what, exactly?"

"I was feeling disoriented... Input from my servers on Earth was conflicting with the sensations from my body up here," she explained.

Tony watched her with dread: "You didn't shut yourself down on Earth, did you?"

She suddenly looked guilty: "Well... yes?"

Tony let out an exhasperated breath and pinched the bridge of his nose: "Dammit, Friday," he said.

"It's the drawback of a hive mind," his daughter justified herself, "I've never been in space before... My body has never been so far away from my servers, and the increasing range was making me disoriented, so I had to shut down my servers on Earth in order to focus here... Maybe with a bit of training, next time I can get into deep space without-"

"Yeah, no," Tony interrupted her, "There's not gonna be a next time. Once we're done here, we're going back to Earth, and you're not gonna set foot on a spaceship, portal or anything else of the like ever again! I told you to disengage and head home, you should have listened to me!"

"But Boss, I had to-"

"Nuh-uh, zip it! Don't you 'But Boss' me, young lady!" Tony interrupted her with a flick of his hand.

Friday lowered her head with a slightly ashamed pout.

Tony immediately melted: "Are you alright now?" he asked grudgingly.

"Well, it's a little wierd not to be connected on Earth, but I'm okay," she assured him, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"Good. Then let's find Supertyrant, or whatever she's called and kick her ass. We have to appropriate this ship and then go pull Strange's butt out of the fire. Weapons hot, we're behind enemy lines now," Tony commented.

***

The Sanctuary II was possibly the biggest battleship in all the cosmos. Loki had been dragged around by the Chitauri for nearly twenty minutes before they reached the dungeons in the lowest level of the ship.

The door of the cell opened with a whine, and two Chitauri threw him unceremoniously inside. He stumbled and fell on the floor, landing right on his broken arm. He hissed in pain as he heard the door closing and the footsteps of the Chitauri grow more and more muffled as they walked away.

He slowly got himself on his feet and started looking around, his clever eyes already searching for a way out. The door and front wall were made of metallic bars. Same for the divider walls between the cells. Maybe he could try and bend them...

"There is no way to escape..."

Loki immediately turned at the strained, barely audible voice, dropping into a fighting stance as he cradled his broken arm against his chest: "Who's there?" he demanded.

"The cell to your left..." the voice whispered.

Loki turned, and the sight made his eyes bulge.

On the floor of the cell next to his, was a woman. Or, more accurately, the pieces of the body of a woman, broken and scattered haphazardly all over the floor. Some were mechanical, while others looked organic, made of blue flesh. He could see part of one leg and an almost entire arm, but the other pieces were much smaller, some so small Loki couldn't really guess where they went in that gruesome puzzle. In the middle of it all, a bald head missing the left eye and cheek was staring at him.

Loki had seen a lot in his long life, but the sight made him slightly queasy.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Nebula," the head replied, "daughter of Thanos."

If Loki was surprised, he didn't show: "Daughter?" he scoffed, dropping his fighting stance and rising to his full height, "Ah, yes. I've heard stories... Sometimes, Thanos collects children that he himslef orphaned on the planets he attacks, raising them as his own and keeping them as his mercenaries..."

"Slaves," the woman corrected harshly.

"Yes," Loki agreed, "A father worse than mine. Quite the achievement, really..." he added bitterly.

"Dude, I have enough problems of my own, as you can see," the disassembled woman replied, "If you need a psychiatrist, look somewhere else."

"Gladly," Loki replied, "But the chances of finding one on this ship appear to be rather low, so I'd like to disembark. Any suggestions?"

"I told you," the head said, "nobody escapes this ship... I've been trying for twenty-five years..."

"Maybe you haven't tried hard enough," Loki replied, mostly trying to convince himself that there was indeed a way out, and he just needed to find it.

"No," Nebula scoffed, dashing his hopes, "you can't escape... and even if you could, what would be the point? Now, my father is close to completing his mission... Soon, there will be no place in the entire universe that will be safe from him..."

Loki furrowed his brow. What did she mean? What mission?

"What are you talking about? What does Thanos want?"

The head closed her only remaining eye, her mouth relaxing in a resigned smile: "Balance," she said, "his goal... his drive... is to bring balance..."

The God of Mischief was about to reply, but she continued: "and now, with her help, nothing and no one will be able to stop him."

Loki was confused: "Her help? What does that mean? Whose help?" he demanded to know.

But the dismembered woman had already lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Peter needs Karen to use the Spiderman suit at his full potential - and he's an enhanced who at this point has gone through quite a bit of training, at least in this story - there's no way Pepper can pilot the Rescue armor all by herself. Hence Tadashi, second youngest of Tony's AIs (we see his matrix in Age of Ultron together with Jocasta's, so I assume he was created before Karen) and Pepper's copilot. He's a bit of an otaku and speaks with a japanese accent because he's based on a Japanese (-ish) character: Tadashi Hamada from Big Hero 6.


	6. The Price of Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle at the Compound has ended with the Avengers victorious.
> 
> For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the Guardians of the Galaxy are joining us in this chapter. Complete with Kraglin. Because seriously, where the heck is Kraglin in Infinity War?
> 
> BTW, let me know in the comments if you can spot the Star Wars easter egg in this chapter ;-)

Rhodey was pacing up and down the corridor of the Compound's infirmary. Mercifully, the North wing of the facility, where the main infirmary was located, had not sustained any damage in the attack, so Cho and her team could get to work as soon as they had arrived.

But the wait was driving him crazy.

He had to know. He needed Doctor Cho to come out and tell him Hope was going to be fine.

If he thought back on how he and Hope had started out, he almost wanted to laugh. They were at each other's throats, back when her asshole of a father was bankrolling Rogers behind her back. God, he would give anything to go back to that. At least he would know she was fine.

He heard footsteps and looked up expectantly. But it wasn't Doctor Cho who had just entered the room.

Carol was there, her uniform still covered in grime from the fight at the Compound and against the Chitauri mothership. Her expression was tired, but solemn: "Are you okay?" she asked.

Rhodey shook his head: "...no," he admitted.

How could he?

The woman he loved was in surgery, fighting for her life. And that was just the tip of the iceberg: his best friend was missing, along with Friday and Peter. Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff were missing too, most likely taken prisoners, if the reports were accurate. And those aliens were still out there, still plotting to get Vision's Stone. They could strike back at any moment...

And that was not counting the casualties.

Thirty-one dead in New York, and three at the Compound. Three, because Darcy Lewis hadn't made it. She had died not five minutes ago, after four and a half hours of surgery.

All in all, it was a spectacularly good result. First estimations said that between the Compound, New York City and that mothership over the Atlantic, around six thousand Chitauri had carried out the attack. The loss of only thirty-four lives in exchange for the complete annihilation of the entire invasion force was an incredible feat. The Avengers, together with the US Armed Forces, had done an amazing job.

But Rhodey knew. He knew that they had been incredibly lucky this time. And now, three Avengers were missing and another was in surgery. Right now, a second attack would destroy them.

Carol could see his turmoil. She didn't hesitate to pull him in a hug: "I know it's hard," she said, "but you have to be strong right now, okay? You're our leader, and we need you..."

She was right. He was the leader of the Avengers. He couldn't afford to be triggered like Rogers used to be everytime he heard the word 'Bucky'. He had a job to do. The world was at war.

And he was going to see it through. For Hope. For Tony and Friday and Peter. And for all those who had lost their lives today.

But right now, he needed a moment for himself.

"Can you sit with me?" he asked Carol, a little awkwardly.

"Sure. Come on..." she answered, guiding him to the chairs against the wall. They sat there in comfortable silence.

Finally, after a few more minutes, Helen Cho arrived: "Colonel Rhodes," she called.

Rhodey jumped to his feet: "Doctor? How is Hope?" he asked immediately.

The good doctor tried to lighten the mood: "Well, you know what they say: Hope never dies..." she said with a smile, but her joke fell completely flat. She immediately sobered up:

"She's stable," she started, "and we managed to stop the bleeding before it became critical. She is going to recover. But..."

Rhodey felt dread wash over him at the doctor's hesitation: "But?" he prompted.

Doctor Cho pursed her lips: "The internal damage was too extensive. We had to perform a hysterectomy."

Rhodey closed his eyes and swallowed. Cho lowered her head: "I'm sorry, Colonel."

"Does she know?" Rhodey asked then.

"Yes," was Cho's laconic answer. Rhodey clenched his fists. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Hope was feeling right now.

A thought crossed his mind: "Do you think... the Cradle..." he started.

Cho deflated visibly, shaking her head: "For now, it's too dangerous. It would be possible in theory, but the damage was mostly internal, and we would have to cut her open again to make sure the Cradle works properly. I don't think Ms. Van Dyne can sustain another surgery at the moment... Maybe at a later time, when she's recovered at least a bit but right now, the Cradle is not an option."

Carol put a hand on his shoulder. Rhodey sighed wearily: "Can I see her?" he asked in a small voice.

"Of course," Cho replied, "she's sedated now, and I don't think she will wake up before tomorrow, but you can stay with her..."

Rhodey left without another word. He ran all the way to Hope's room and barged through the door.

Seeing Hope in that state, completely still, her eyes closed, with all those tubes and machines attached to her to keep her alive, made Rhodey's heart sink.

He walked up to her, slowly, almost afraid of hurting her. She looked so fragile right now. Her skin was pale and glistening with sweat and her breaths were shallow and labored.

He took her hand in his.

"I'm gonna destroy each and every single one of those three bastards who did this to you," he vowed, "I'm gonna make them wish they had never set foot on this planet, Hope. I'm gonna make them sorry they even exist. I promise you."

He sat there for a while longer before Carol knocked on the still open door.

Rhodey looked up and she gave him an apologetic look: "When you're ready, we're in the conference room. We need to debrief."

Rhodey nodded wearily. He turned to Hope and leaned over to kiss her forehead. He wanted nothing but to stay by her side right now, but he had to go.

Those revolting aliens were not gonna kill themselves.

***

The conference room was full of people, but the atmosphere was deadly serious. Nobody wanted to be the first to speak.

Sharon and Natasha looked pretty worse for wear. Sharon had a bruise covering the entire left side of her jaw and a cut on her right eyebrow, while Natasha had a black eye and a split lower lip. Next to them, Vision looked like shit: he was holding the gaping wound on his side with his hand, his face scrunched in pain. The wound was a through and through: Rhodey knew if he was human he would almost certainly be dead, but it didn't seem to bother him too much, thankfully.

Sif didn't look much better: cuts and bruises aside, she was still very pale, and her eyes were sunken in and bloodshot. She was still rather weak from her coma.

Carol had changed out of her battle outfit and into her normal Air Force uniform. Her expression was troubled, despite her amazing performance during the battle. Rhodey could relate perfectly.

To Carol's right, Pepper was fidgeting nervously with her hands, her eyes haunted and bloodshot. Rhodey's heart clenched for his friend: finding Selvig, Foster and Lewis pancaked under the rubble of her own home had left her particularly shaken. And how could it not? Pepper was just a civilian. She was not made for this. Her only previous experience that could come close to this was Killian, and the bastard was still giving her the occasional nightmare to this very day. Right now, Pepper was scraped raw.

Paxton, despite being unhurt, had his elbows propped on the table and his hands joined in front of him, covering his mouth as he stared absently into nothingness. Rhodey wasn't surprised: the attack had caught them completely by surprise and had been absolutely overwhelming. Paxton was a former cop who had seen his good deal of blood and violence in the SFPD, so at least he was faring a little better than Pepper, but even the toughest guy in the world would not have come out of this battle without being traumatized. On top of that, Hope had been badly hurt. She had been the one who had offered him to join the Avengers as the new Yellowjacket. She had been his guide in a sense, the one who had helped him settle into the Avengers, helped both him and his family adjust to such a big change in his life...

Rhodey knew Paxton was just as worried for Hope as he was. _God, Hope..._

And finally, in the back of the room, hunched on himself and looking like he wanted to disappear, was Bruce Banner, flanked by an Asian man dressed like a monk who he'd been told went by the name Wong. Rhodey had heard of what had happened to the Hulk during the battle, and if he was honest, he was more sorry for not having the green guy available for whatever was gonna come next than he was for Banner's plights. Banner had left Tony to deal with Ultron's shit all on his own, and Rhodey was not exactly in a forgiving mood today.

Wong's face seemed carved in steel, his expression absolutely unreadable.

"Alright," Rhodey started. If no one else was gonna break the silence, he might as well do it himself: "First things first, I need to know what the hell happened in New York. The Accords Central Committee has requested a full report, but all the Avengers that countered the attack there are now missing. So, Banner, Mr. Wong, you have the floor."

Banner took a deep breath as if to reorder his thoughts before starting: "The two aliens that attacked the city, I had met them before, as the Hulk. They destroyed a spaceship full of Asgardian refugees, killed Thor and took the Tesseract for their master, a massive purple guy named Thanos. There were five of them in total on our spaceship, so I guessed the attack here was led by the other three..."

Lady Sif clenched her fists on the armrests of her chair, bending them. She had known Asgard had been destroyed, but not that Thor and others had survived only to be slaughtered later on...

"We have been fighting three of them here," Paxton supplied, confirming Bruce's suspicions, "a huge humanoid crocodile, another that looked like a gothic Gollum and a woman with blue hair and horns..."

"That's them," Bruce confirmed. Rhodey thought it was good news: at least, it seemed that Thanos had sent his entire elite squad against them. It was unlikely that there were more than the five they had already fought.

Besides Thanos himself, obviously. Banner had made it sound like he was more powerful than all his minions combined, and wasn't _that_ a nice perspective.

"The two that we fought had mystic powers," the man called Wong continued from where Banner had left, "telekinesis and mind manipulation. They took Doctor Strange hostage in order to get the Time Stone in his necklace, and during the battle Wanda Maximoff was abducted as well."

_Wait... Maximoff? The hell was Maximoff doing there?_ Rhodey thought.

"Hold on, Maximoff was out there fighting? And now she's in space with Tony and Friday? Are you fucking kidding me!?" Pepper raged, voicing Rhodey's thoughts.

"It wasn't my decision," Wong defended, "we were never gonna win against those two and all their Chitauri. We needed reinforcements, so Strange called her in. I know some of you have history with Maximoff, but she has made great progress since you last saw her..."

"I don't give a flying _fuck_ about her progress! She tried to..."

Pepper reigned herself in at the last moment. Rhodey sent her a sympathetic look: it was true, Maximoff had basically tried to... to _rape_ Tony in his sleep, in their bedroom, with Pepper asleep on the other side of the bed. Yeah, she was not gonna forgive the witch anytime soon. Nobody would.

But this was hardly the time or the place to bring that up. Even Pepper seemed to realize that: "How do we get them back?" she asked, instead of continuing what she was gonna say.

"We can't," Wong said apologetically, "my powers can't reach them. However, while Strange and Maximoff were indeed taken prisoners, the Avengers were not. Spiderman deliberately snuck aboard one of the alien spaceships with the intent of freeing Strange, and both Doctor Banner and I saw the Starks board that same ship on their own power. So we have reason to believe they are still able to fight and defend themselves. Also, they were not on the same spaceship Strange and Maximoff had been taken..."

Pepper seemed to calm down slightly at that. She took a few moments before reprising: "Good. Because if Maximoff so much as lays a finger on Tony, she will sorely regret it, Mr. Wong. Trust me, there's no amount of magic in this universe that will save her from me," she threatened, "God, they're alone on an alien spaceship that could be full of Chitauri..." she added, almost muttering to herself.

"But if Tony and the others are not on the same ship as Strange, and Maximoff is also a prisoner, it means no one is there to save Strange from those two, Ebony Maw and Supergiant..." Bruce reasoned, "...and no one will be able to stop them from getting the Time Stone!"

Wong nodded gravely: "Supergiant's powers were enough to scare off the Hulk. I cannot detect any residual magic in Doctor Banner's mind, but he is still unable to summon the Hulk. If that woman's magic is gone but the effect still hasn't worn off, it means she practically scared the Hulk half to death. And Ebony Maw seemed even more powerful... Strange will break, eventually..." he growled, frustrated and worried.

"Which means the Time Stone is already lost," Carol surmised bluntly.

Wong twitched. It wasn't just for the Stone. Strange was a friend, and he was in mortal danger...

"This is bad," Bruce reprised, "This is really bad... Thanos already has two Stones, and soon he's going to get a third one from Strange, if his minions haven't already secured it..."

"So there's only one more Stone left on Earth," Natasha chimed in, "and we need to protect it at all costs," she said, turning to Vision.

The android looked down: "No, we need to destroy it..."

A collective exclamation of surprise resonated in the room: "Vision, are you kidding? What do you mean?" Rhodey wanted to know.

The android didn't look up as he answered: "I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head. About it's nature, but also its... composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, then perhaps... its molecular integrity could fail. The Stone would be destroyed, and Thanos' plans would be thwarted."

"Yes, and you would be dead!" a new voice said from the room's speakers.

Vision finally looked up: "Jocasta-"

"Vision, no! Boss is missing, Friday has shut down her servers, so she's also missing, and Karen is installed directly in the Spiderman and Iron Spider suits, both of which are now with Peter, so she's missing too! You're all that is left of Jarvis, and... and I don't want to lose another sibling! I can't! Why does our family have to suffer like this!? You don't have to do this! Colonel, please, tell him he doesn't have to do this! There must be another way!"

Everybody felt a pang to the heart at the distressed voice of the young AI. It was simply incredible how emotional Tony's artificial intelligences all were.

But Vision spoke again: "Jocasta... countless lives are in danger, and we can't jeopardize them to save my life and mine only. Steve Rogers did that three years ago; he was ready to trade as many lives as he had to for the life of a single man. I can't do that. I can't be that cruel and dispassionate..."

Pepper had tears falling unbidden from her eyes now. When the younger AI spoke again, everybody was sure that if she had a physical body she would be crying too: "But... that's so unfair..."

Vision turned to one of the cameras in the ceiling: "Jocasta, sometime sacrifices have to be made. Eliminating the Stone is the only way to be certain Thanos can't get it. Seven years ago, Iron Man redirected a nuclear warhead through a wormhole and saved the world. He laid down his life to save millions, billions of people. He was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice, because it had to be done. Tell me, why is this any different?"

"Because it's not gonna work..."

Everybody turned to the man who had just spoken: Wong.

"The Infinity Stones are... They are practically indestructible. The only way to destroy one of them would be with a blast that has the same power signature. Something that is imbued with the power of that specific stone..." the monk said. He looked around the room at each of them: "I believe that the only person that might have a chance of destroying the Mind Stone would be Wanda Maximoff."

_Oh great. Back to the Witch,_ Rhodey thought.

Carol was the first to reply: "Are you sure we need the same power signature? Because I was hoping, you know... if and when this Thanos came to Earth with his stones I could just blast him really, really hard and destroy them..."

Wong shook his head: "I can sense how powerful you are, Colonel, and I don't doubt for a second that your power vastly surpasses Maximoff's," he said, "but without the same signature as the Stones, trying to destroy them would be futile."

There was a long pause after that. It was once again Rhodey who broke it: "Well, that settles it. Vision, Maximoff is missing, and I don't think I could ever allow that witch to lay a finger on you again anyway, so it looks like you're stuck with us."

"Thank you, Colonel," Jocasta said, relieved and still a bit crossed with Vision for suggesting that idea in the first place.

Vision deflated with a frustrated breath: "Fair enough..." he conceded.

"Where do we go from here?" Rhodey continued.

Vision raised his head: "Well, if we can't destroy the Mind Stone, I'd like to have this gaping hole in my abdomen fixed, please," he said, not without sarcasm, "I'm going to need to be able to defend myself the next time Thanos' forces show up."

"We'll talk with Doctor Cho immediately. She syntuetized your body, hopefully she can repair it." Rhodey assured him.

"I can help too, if she needs me," Bruce chimed in.

"Appreciated, Banner," Rhodey replied, a bit coldly and dismissively, "but we also need more information about Thanos himself, and his minions. We don't even know the names of the three who attacked the Compound. Carol, communication systems seem to be back online, so try again with your contacts in space. We need every information available."

The Lieutenant Colonel nodded: "Right away."

***

The Benatar was zooming towards the area where the distress signal had originated. From the upper deck, the tune of 'Rubberband Man' by The Spinners could be heard. Kraglin and Rocket's atrocious singing was, thankfully, muffled enough by the closed doors to be bearable.

"How long 'till we reach the area of the distress call?" Quill asked as he sat with Gamora in the Benatar's radio room, trying to open a comm channel.

"Five, maybe six minutes," Gamora answered still suspicious of Quill's urgency.

"Good," Peter said, "enough time to try and call Carol back..."

A couple hours earlier, shortly after the Benatar's radio had picked up an SOS from a ship called 'Statesman', being attacked by unidentified space pirates twenty-two jump points from where Asgard used to be, Peter had received a call on his private communicator, but the line had been cut before he could even answer. Since then, he had been trying non-stop to contact the caller, apparently a woman named Carol. He almost seemed scared of her.

Gamora was not impressed: "Who is this Carol again?" she asked.

Quill kept fiddling with the radio controls as he responded: "I met her back when I was still with the Ravagers. I stole a few crates of Cotati primary mineral from a Kree outpost in the Wobani region, and they sicced her on me. She chased me down, brutally kicked my ass and forced me to return everything. Said I should count myself lucky, that the Kree would not have been as lenient if they caught me first..."

"Well, she was not wrong about that," Gamora interjected. "Yeah. She threatened to deliver me to them unless I agreed to work for her from time to time. She said, and I quote: 'I don't care if you're in bed with a flu or in bed having an orgy with three women at the same time. I call, you answer'. Now she called, so I have to answer."

"You 'have' to answer?" Gamora asked, slightly dumbfounded, "I thought nobody could ever force you to do anything you didn't want to do..."

Quill looked nervous: "Well..."

Gamora's brow furrowed: "...what?"

Quill's cheeks became red: "...I thought I could just say yes in that moment, and then run away and hide myself from her. But then she called me and I didn't respond, so she tracked me down, kicked my ass again and said she was not gonna give me a third chance if I ever tried to mess with her again, that there was no place in the entire galaxy where she couldn't find me," he said grudgingly.

"And you believe her?" Gamora wanted to know. This Carol woman sounded pretty cool.

"Well, considering what she threatened to do to me if I ignored her calls again, I'd rather not take any chances," Quill stated, his cheeks flushing even more, "I like my penis where it is, thank you," he muttered.

Gamora scoffed: "Star Lord, the legendary outlaw, bossed around and bullied by a Terran woman. How far the mighty have fallen," she laughed.

Quill's cheeks colored even more in shame: "She's not exactly a normal Terran! She could fly and shoot energy blasts from her hands! She tore a wing off the Milano with her bare hands!"

Gamora just laughed harder.

"And she's hot." Peter muttered to himself.

"What!?" Gamora asked, suddenly getting serious and maybe a little crossed.

"I-um, I said she hasn't called me in years! So I wasn't expecting to ever hear from her again!" Peter backtracked, speaking a little too loud and too fast. _Quality save._

Gamora didn't have the chance to question him further as static erupted from the radio, before a blonde woman with an angry expression appeared on the monitor: "Quill," she greeted.

Wow, she was pissed. Quill instantly started to behave like an idiot: "Carol! It's been some time! So good to hear from you again-"

"Shut up," the woman commanded, "we have a problem and I need you to look into it," she said.

Gamora started to relax. Maybe it was a bit early to tell, but judging by this interaction it didn't look like there had ever been anything between Peter and this Carol woman besides work. Then again, Gamora knew Peter, and she was pretty sure that at some point he had at least tried to make things more... intimate. She didn't know if he had succeeded, but given Carol's demeanor, if he did, it was definitely over now.

Still, she was gonna have to punish the naughty boy later.

"Always at your service, Carol!" was Peter's bubbly reply, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm on Earth now. A few hours ago, a massive Chitauri army attacked the planet. They were led by five rather peculiar characters I had never seen before. We repelled the attack, but they could be back at any moment, so I need you to check in with your A'askavarian friend at the Nova Records and see if they have anything on them. I'm sending you some pictures of the guys I'm looking for."

Photographs clearly taken from a battle appeared on the screen, next to Carol's face. A few were taken from weird angles, but the quality was good enough to show the faces of the aliens depicted in them perfectly well.

And Gamora couldn't avoid a sharp intake of breath at the sight.

"That's impossible..." she whispered.

The woman on the screen looked at her: "You know them?" she asked.

Gamora's eyes were glued to the pitcures. It was them. _All of them!_

She shook herself out of her reverie: "They call themselves the Black Order. They are Thanos' most powerful children. They... they always followed Thanos when he conquered a planet in person. They are his most trusted generals, hardened by countless battles..." she explained, before turning to Quill: "All the wars Nebula and I have fought, all the lives we've taken, are child's play compared to what they've done. They have been fighting for Thanos for hundreds of years by now..."

Quill looked a little spooked, and Gamora knew he had all the reasons to be. The Earth woman got their attention again: "We managed to fend them off, but barely. Next time we might not be so lucky, so I need all the information I can get on them. Can you help me?" she asked.

Gamora nodded to her. Forcing the Black Order to retreat was nothing short of incredible. This woman and her associates on Earth could turn out to be very powerful allies... and if Thanos had sent the entire Black Order on a single planet, it meant he was on the move. He had resumed his quest for the Infinity Stones.

Soon, Gamora and the other Guardians were gonna need all the allies they could get.

"I will send you everything I know about them," she assured the other woman.

"Great. You can send me the files on this line," Carol said.

"Will do, Carol," was Peter's awkward reply, "it's been nice to hear from you after all this ti-"

"Shove it, Quill!" she harshly cut him off, "Get your fat ass off that chair and help the lady out! I need those files yesterday!" she barked, promptly ending the video call.

Peter turned to Gamora, smiling forcefully: "She's head over heels for me," he whispered, smiling and nodding to himself.

"The head is always over the heels..."

They both jumped at the voice. Drax was standing behind them, a small bag of zark nuts in his hand: "...at least while you're standing up," he finished.

"Dude!" Peter called, startled, "How long have you been there!?"

Drax nonchalantly ate another nut: "An hour."

Both gaped at him: "An hour!?" Peter squawked.

"Are you serious!?" Gamora added, equally flustered.

Drax looked deadly serious as he answered: "I've mastered the ability... of standing so incredibly still... that I've become invisible to the eye. Watch," he boasted, as he proceeded to demonstrate his supposed 'invisibility' by reaching for more of his snack at the pace of a snail.

Peter was quick to call him out on it: "You're eating a zark nut," he said.

Drax looked down at his bag of nuts: "But my movement... so slow... it's imperceptible."

Both Quill and Gamora shook their heads: "No," Peter tried again.

"I'm sure I'm invisible," Drax insisted... until Mantis came entered the room and greeted him.

"Hi, Drax," she chirped with a bubbly smile, waving at him.

Drax looked at her with a scathing glare that went completely over Mantis' head. He hunched slightly in defeat: "Damn it..." he muttered, walking away.

There was a long pause before Gamora spoke: "...okay. Well, I'd better get started on-"

She was interrupted by a small jolt rocking the ship, followed by Rocket's screams: "Wipers! Wipers! Get it off!" the talking raccoon screeched.

Everybody ran upstairs and immediately saw why Rocket was yelling to Kraglin. A tall, muscular blond man was sprawled over the Benatar's windshield.

Gamora looked around. Debris and corpses were scattered all over the place around their ship.

"Looks like we're not getting paid," Kraglin observed.

Mantis and Groot were slowly approaching the front of the ship, their eyes stuck on the man sprawled on the windshield.

Suddenly, the man's left eye opened and they jerked back in fear. Gamora noticed he was missing his right eye.

"Holy smokes, he's alive!" Kraglin yelled.

They all stared at the mysteryous man still plastered to the windshield who was staring back at each of them in turn, until...

"...I am Groot?"

"Yes," Gamora answered, "We should probably pull him in. He's literally floating in outer space..."

***

Supergiant watched the three little Earthlings on her ship with amusement on the holograms in her command room.

Fools. They thought they had boarded her ship with none the wiser. She would show them.

Still, she had to be careful. Earth had turned out to be a much harder cookie than they had initially thought. Its champions had managed to hold their own like no other before in front of the Black Order, and they had even managed to destroy their support troops by blowing up the Chitauri mothership the Almighty Thanos had granted them as support.

Now, Maw had captured the two magic wielders, so things should be easier. None of the three that had boarded her ship seemed to possess telekinesis or telepathy.

Still, each of them had proven to be a worthy opponent. And now, she was outnumbered three to one.

That could be a problem. It would be better to even the odds.

Two of them were advancing together and with caution in the depths of the lower level of her ship, but the third, the young man in the red and blue suit, was on his own.

Her mouth stretched in a nasty smile. She knew what she had to do.

***

"Why are the lights so dim on this ship!? I get that it brings up the evil vibe, but God, I can't see anything! Can the crew even see where they're going!?" Peter complained, keeping his voice low.

"I don't think there's a crew, Peter," Karen replied in his earpiece, "my scans indicate that this ship is most likely fully automated. All those Chitauri that came out of this ship in New York were probably foot soldiers. It is possible that the entire ship could be operated by a single person..."

Peter gave a low whistle. It was just incredible that this massive spaceship could be flown by only one person, but he couldn't afford to take time to admire the technology around him. Maybe it was just the completely new and unfamiliar environment, but his spider sense was tingling like crazy. He felt like a leftover Chitauri could get the jump on him at any moment. He couldn't drop his guard even for a second.

He needed to find Tony and Friday.

He made his way through the dimly lit corridors with incredible caution, but he didn't realize he was falling into a trap.

At one point, his sixth sense screamed danger. He barely had the time to turn before a concussive blast slammed him against the far wall. A fraction of a second later his wrists, ankles, waist and even neck were pinned against the wall by some telekinetically controlled pieces of scrap metal.

He let the mask of his new suit retract, trying to breathe better around the metallic tube that was crushing his windpipe. Karen was calling for him frantically in his earpiece, but before he could respond, he saw the blue alien woman sauntering towards him with a nasty smile.

"Hello, Earthling," she sneered.

Then, Peter would remember nothing but darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Carol having ties with the Kree empire and Quill being a Ravager for most of his life (and also the fact that in the comics they know each other... pretty well), I think it's not out of the realm of possibilities that Captain Marvel and Star Lord crossed paths before Infinity War. So here we have Peter Quill being Carol's informant.


	7. In Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor is found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter feels a little off to me (partly because real life was kicking my ass these two weeks, and partly because it takes some dialogue from the movie, so I had to be careful of how I "modified" it, so to speak...) I hope you enjoy nonetheless. Next chapter will be less movie-derived :-)

The Guardians were all gathered in the common room of the Benatar, all watching silently as the mysterious one-eyed man ate a bowl of soup in silence. He was hunched over and had a blanket draped over his shoulders, but his menacing vibe was in full swing. No one dared to take a single step closer to him.

The first to break the silence was Quill: "How the hell's this dude still alive!?" he asked to Drax, whispering.

"He's not a dude," Drax whispered in reply, "You're a dude... That... That is a man. A handsome, muscular man..." he said, almost with adoration.

"I'm muscular!" Quill protested.

"Oh, who are you kidding, Quill?" Rocket chimed in, "You're one sandwich away from fat."

Before Quill could protest again, Drax was quick to back Rocket up: "It's true. You have gained a little weight..." he said patronizingly, even gesturing under his chin and around his midriff.

"Your idiotic bantering is almost as charming as it is annoying," the one-eyed man said, making nearly everybody jump back in fear.

They all kept religiously quiet as the man stared them all down, but again, Quill didn't feel the gravity of the moment: "Gamora, do you think I'm..." he started, only for her to give him a withering look that finally shut him up.

She turned to the man: "Who are you? What happened here?" she asked.

"I am Thor, son of Odin, God of Thunder and King of Asgard," the man said boisterously, making Quill roll his eyes. When he continued, however, there was pain in his voice: "I was leading my people to Earth after the destruction of my home world, but on our path was the Mad Titan, Thanos."

The name made Gamora perk up: "Thanos!?" she nearly shouted.

"That is his name, yes," Thor replied, scoffing, "Unbeknownst to me, before Asgard's destruction, my brother Loki had taken possession of an ancient, mystical artifact known as the Tesseract. It held an Infinity Stone inside it..."

"So now Thanos has it?" Gamora asked with dread.

"Indeed," Thor confirmed, "the Space Stone is now in his possession, along with the Soul Stone."

Gamora looked down, muttering a curse under her breath: "I knew it... It couldn't be a coincidence... First, the Black Order shows up in full force, and now this... Thanos is on the move..."

"You know of Thanos?" Thor asked.

Her eyes raised back on him: "I do," she said in a solemn, slightly haunted voice, "and the entire time I have known him, Thanos only ever had one goal: to bring balance to the Universe by killing half of all life. He used to kill people planet by planet, massacre by massacre..."

"Including my own," Drax interrupted her in a low voice.

"If he gets all six Infinity Stones, he can do it with the snap of his fingers, like this," Gamora continued, raising her hand and snapping her fingers for show.

"You seem to know a great deal about the Mad Titan," Thor stated, eyeing her with suspicion.

It was Drax who explained: "Gamora... is the daughter of Thanos."

Thor's face darkened as he stood to his full height and stalked in front of Gamora: "Your father slaughtered half my people and took my brother prisoner," he gritted out in barely contained rage.

Quill was quick to intervene: "Uh, stepfather, technically. And she hates him as much as you do," he said, raising his hands in a placating gesture while placing himself between the Asgardian and Gamora.

Thor seemed to soften a bit. He nodded, accepting Quill's explanation: "Families can be tough. And fathers can be problematic," he said, putting a hand on Gamora's shoulder, "Before my father died, he told me I had a half-sister that he imprisoned in Hel. Then she returned home, and stabbed me in the eye, so I had to kill her. It was just my father's style... He never told my brother that he was adopted until he fortuitously discovered he was a Jotunn... he did everything he could to erase all records of my sister from existence and only told me about her when he couldn't hold her back anymore... He was a good man, but he made mistakes. I feel your pain."

Quill really didn't like how familiar this dude was getting with his girl: "And I feel your pain as well," he said, "I mean, it's not a competition, but... I've been through a lot. My father was not a good man, you know? He was actually evil, just like yours... He killed my mother, so then I had to kill my father... That was hard. Probably even harder than having to kill a sister. Plus, I came out of it with both of my eyes-"

"We need to move," Thor stated, already disinterested and cutting off Quill's jealousy-induced rant, "Thanos is after the Stones. We have to get them first," he said.

"Wait, so ya know where he's gon' next?" Kraglin asked.

"Yes. Knowhere," was Thor's answer.

"Nowhere? He has to go _some_ where," Mantis argued.

"No, wait, Knowhere, it's a place. We've been there, it sucks," Quill told her, "Why would he go to Knowhere?" he asked then, turning to Thor.

"Because for years, the Reality Stone has been safely stored there," Thor explained, "with a man we call The Collector."

"If it's with The Collector then it's _not_ safe," Quil said, "Only an idiot would give that man a Stone!"

"Or a genius," Thor argued through gritted teeth at the implication. Sensing another pissing contest starting, Gamora brought the discussion back on topic: "Thor, how do you know he's going for the Reality Stone next?"

"I don't. Not for sure. But I know that the Reality Stone is the least protected: the Power Stone is on Xandar, protected by the Nova Corps, whereas the Time and Mind Stones are safe on Earth. They're with the Avengers."

"The Avengers?" Kraglin inquired.

"Earth's mightiest heroes," Thor said as an explanation.

Gamora nodded. It added up: that woman, Carol, said they had just repelled an attack on Earth. It was probably thanks to these Avengers that the Black Order had been forced to retreat.

But Mantis, not knowing that, perked up: "Like Kevin Bacon?"

"He may be on the team. I don't know, I haven't been on Earth for a while. The point is, they can put up a fight. So can the Nova. The Collector can't. And I don't like the idea of Thanos gaining another Infinity Stone without even breaking a sweat, when I could have done something about it. So start the engines, morons. We are going to Knowhere," he said, moving past Quill.

Star Lord cleared his voice: "No, we are not," he stated, making his voice deeper and louder.

Everybody looked at him like he was crazy, but Quill just puffed his chest and took a step towards Thor: "We will not be going to Knowhere today, sir."

Both Gamora and Kraglin looked at him with furrowed brows. Was that how he planned to command respect?

Rocket, always ready to call Quill out on his bullshit, spoke first: "Uh... Quill, are you making your voice deeper?"

Quill's eyes darted to him for a second before turning back to Thor: "...No," he stated resolutely, in the same baritone voice.

"You are," Drax agreed with Rocket, "you're imitating the god-man. It's weird."

"No, I'm not," Quill retorted in the same voice.

Mantis pointed at him accusingly: "He just did it again!" she exclaimed.

"This is my voice!" Quill insisted, again imitating Thor.

Thor looked ready to throttle Quill. He threateningly stepped in front of him again: "Are you mocking me?" he asked menacingly.

But self-preservation was never one of Quill's strong suits: "Are you mocking me?" he fired back in the same tone.

Now Thor was pissed: "You did it again-"

"Enough!" Gamora yelled, just as Thor muttered "He's doing it first" just loud enough for her to hear. What were they, five?

"I miss mah old crew..." Kraglin muttered to himself.

She was not gonna be able to handle any more testosterone today: "Peter, what's wrong with you!? We don't have time for this! Don't you remember what your friend said!? Earth has already been attacked once!"

"What!?" Thor asked, unsettled.

"Yes. The Black Order, Thanos' most trusted children, they attacked the Earth with a batallion of Chitauri. They were stopped and forced to retreat, but they're likely to attack again very soon..." Gamora explained.

"And Thanos already has two Stones," Rocket reasoned, "If he goes to Knowhere and gets another one, and then he goes joins his lackeys on Earth and attacks these Avengers guys again..."

"I am Groot!" Groot finished for him.

"Not just them... We'd be all screwed..." Rocket replied to the talking tree.

"The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you," Thor stated.

"Rabbit?" Rocket muttered to himself.

Thor replied with another question: "I assume you are the captain, sir?"

"You're very perceptive," Rocket smiled to him.

Quill tried to butt in: "Yeah, except I'm the-"

"Quiet!" Thor ordered, and without giving him a chance to reply, turned back to Rocket: "You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest for the Reality Stone?"

Now, Rocket was in trouble. He really didn't like the idea of fighting a nigh-invincible titan wielding two Infinity Stones. Fortunately for him, before he could respond, Quill spoke again: "And why would it end better than the last time? You thought you could keep the Space Stone safe yourself, but then what happened? Oh, right, Thanos kicked your ass and took it! Now you want another swing at him when he's gotten even more powerful?"

"No, you insufferable fat man," Thor replied harshly, causing Quill to self-consciously place both his hands on his belly, "I want to get the Reality Stone before Thanos does, and then get back to Earth and join the Avengers to better defend the remaining Stones! Do you have a better idea!?"

This time, finally, Quill was out of witty remarks.

Kraglin agreed: "If we don' hafta fight this guy what kicked yer ass, I'm okay with it."

"Worry not, my coward friend," Thor smiled at him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I am well aware that Thanos is too powerful for you. I do not intend to send you puny mortals to fight him. We'll get the Stone, fall back to Earth, and then when Thanos comes, we'll fight him together with the Avengers." He then turned to Rocket: "Cool, captain?"

"Uh... Cool, I guess..." Rocket agreed.

"Cool?" Thor asked Kraglin.

"Um... Yea, thanks..." Kraglin agreed. Drax and Mantis also nodded their agreement.

"Cool," Thor nodded to himself.

"Kraglin, for the love of God, don't thank him when he calls you a coward!" Quill gritted out.

"To Knowhere!" Thor boasted, walking away.

Quill was about to argue, but Gamora stopped him: "Peter, he's right. If we don't go to Knowhere and Thanos retrieves another Stone, he'll be too powerful to stop..."

Quill opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but nothing came out.

Gamora continued: "Come on. Help me relay the informations on the Black Order to your friend on Earth," she said, dragging him away.

***

When Wanda regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was the pain. A terrible pain, concentrated in the back of her neck. It felt as if she had been shot.

That thought nearly sent her into a panic attack, because she immediately noticed that, aside from the excruciating pain in her neck, she couldn't feel her body.

_Oh God... Have they broken my neck!? Am I paralyzed!? What did they do to me!?_

Instinctively, she tried to summon her powers, but nothing happened. She could feel that they were still there, but they were numb. Unresponsive. Just like her limbs.

She was scared.

_No... Focus..._

She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed, trying to breathe through the bugeoning panic. She was relieved when she noticed she could still breathe without problems. That meant her neck wasn't broken... not fatally, at least.

She took several long, deep breaths to try and calm down. Then she tried to open her eyes, and she felt a little better when she realized she could actually _see._ It was dark, but she could still make out the metallic floor and walls of the room she was in despite the dim lights.

She tried to turn her head to get a better view of her surroundings, but she immediately felt a terrible stab of pain in her neck that nearly made her scream.

"I wouldn't try to move if I were you," a voice said.

She blinked the white spots from her vision, trying once again to breathe through the pain, before raising her eyes to see who had spoken. In front of her, sneering in satisfaction, was the ugly alien who went by Ebony Maw.

The one who had kidnapped her and Doctor Strange.

 _Oh, God! Doctor Strange! The Time Stone!_ Wanda thought, her eyes bulging, _Where-..._

She turned her eyes to one side, then to the other, trying to see where Strange was. She only saw her outstretched arms, bound by the wrists with two chains that went to the walls at her sides. Looking down, Wanda saw she was on her knees.

"You're probably wondering why you can't feel anything from your neck down," Ebony Maw started, leaning down slightly to have a better look at her. Wanda gritted her teeth and looked up at him defiantly.

Maw smirked: "Let me show you."

He stepped to the side, and Wanda could finally see Doctor Strange.

Her eyes bulged again. The doctor was right in front of her and in her exact same predicament - on his knees and with his arms outstretched and chained to the walls - with several... spikes, of some sort, floating around him and pointing at his body. They looked like shards of glass, but they seemed incredibly sharp.

"These needles were originally designed for microsurgery," the alien explained. He moved to stand at Strange's side: "One of them at the base of your neck between the third and fourth vertebrae is sufficient to block all nervous signals that the brain sends to your body, effectively stopping you from even moving a finger... So don't try to escape, woman. You won't be able to, and one wrong movement of your head could cause permanent damage to your spinal cord and end up paralyzed from the neck down."

Now Wanda understood. She couldn't see behind her, but she could bet there was one of those spikes digging into her spine. That explained the pain, and the lack of feeling in her body.

The disgusting creature had her completely at his mercy.

"As for you, wizard..." Maw continued, turning to Strange, "you must be wondering you aren't blocked like your associate," he said in an almost flippant tone. Wanda felt sick: it was true, of all the several spikes that were floating threateningly around Strange, none was pointed at the back of his neck.

"The answer is quite simple: I need you to be able to feel the pain in your body in order to persuade you to cooperate. So I'm not blocking your nerve endings..." Maw stated analytically, sounding almost like a professor teaching something to his students. It was scaring Wanda half to death.

Maw crouched in front of Strange. Wanda could no longer see his face, but when he spoke, his voice made her blood chill in her veins: "In all the time I've served Thanos, I have never failed him," he said. "If I were to arrive at our rendezvous on Titan with the Time Stone still attached to your vaguely irritating person, there would be... judgement."

It didn't escape Wanda's notice how his voice lowered at the last word.

Maw was scared.

He was scared of the consequences if he didn't comply to his master's will.

Despite everything, she felt a smile tug at her lips. Their enemy had just presented them with an opening.

But she didn't have time to elaborate on that.

"Give. Me. The Stone," Maw commanded, flicking his hand towards Strange. One of the spikes moved to him and wedged between his ribs on his left side.

Strange gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, letting out a pained whimper.

"No! Leave him alone!" Wanda shouted... or at least she tried to shout it. It came out more like a raspy plea.

But it worked. Maw actually stopped.

The spike receded and Strange let out a shaky breath.

"Feisty, I see," Maw commented, turning towards her and rising to his full height.

He stepped closer to her and leaned down, until his face was but a few inches away from hers. "I don't like feistiness," he hissed.

Wanda felt the spike behind her neck sink deeper in. The pain surged again, white hot, terrible pain. She squeezed her eyes shut as a cry of pain escaped her mouth.

Then the pain suddenly stopped.

Wanda was breathing heavily, barely able to muster up enough strength to raise her head and look at Strange, who was now yawning audibly. He looked absolutely bored.

Both Maw and Wanda were looking at him in confusion.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you think torturing her would persuade me to give you the Stone?" Strange asked, addressing the alien with mirth, "'Cause I swore an oath to protect the Stone with my life, and I sure as hell won't give it up for the life of another person... Also, I gotta tell you, she's not really my friend. Quite the opposite, really. She's kind of a pain in the ass..."

Wanda knew that she shouldn't have felt bad at that statement, but she did. Maybe it was the fact that she was being tortured, and Strange didn't seem to care in the slightest...

Or maybe that was just for show... if Strange managed to convince Maw that torturing Wanda wouldn't get him the Stone, maybe he would leave her be...

But Maw dashed her hopes entirely: "Oh, I realize that," he said, smiling, "I'm sure you understand how valuable the Time Stone is. Surely you wouldn't surrender it in exchange of something so trivial as a human life."

Strange flinched for a moment before he managed to school his features back into the same bored expression as before. He wasn't as good an actor as Natasha.

"Well, good. Glad we're on the same page," he shrugged, or at least made the motion of it, what with his arms chained to the walls and all those oversized needles floating around him.

Maw dismissed him with a scoff, before turning back to Wanda. She was already bracing herself, scared he would resume pushing that needle deeper into her neck, when Strange spoke again:

"So why did you take her, then? If you knew you couldn't use her as leverage against me, why go through the trouble of taking us both prisoners?"

Wanda realized now what he was doing: stalling. Biding his time. Making Maw talk, trying to get as many information as he could in order to come up with a plan.

And Maw fell for it.

"Come, wizard. Surely you realize where your friend's powers come from..."

Strange didn't answer as both his and Wanda's eyes bulged: how did he know Wanda's powers came from an Infinity Stone?

"We can make good use of such power," Maw continued, "the Almighty Thanos will appreciate such a fine gift."

Wanda would have recoiled in fear at all the possible implications, if not for that blasted spike in her neck blocking her nerve endings.

But Strange, instead, _laughed._

He laughed as if Maw had just told him a funny joke.

"Oh my god, I don't know what's more delusional," he said in an amused voice, "to think you can take the Time Stone from me or to believe you can get her to work with you..."

Wanda immediately felt encouraged by the Doctor's words. She didn't know if he really meant them - after all, he knew her backstory full well, and he had seen her jump ship more than once - but seeing someone actually show faith in her after all this time made her even more determined to not give this alien asshole what he wanted.

"He's right, you know?" she said, "You're dreaming with your eyes open if you think even for a second that I will ever join you, or your master."

She would never. She would show Strange that his faith - fake or genuine, it didn't matter - was not misplaced. And besides...

...Tony was out there.

He was out there, fighting to save the Earth from these disgusting aliens. And he might not believe in her, he might even _hate_ her, but she would never, _ever_ gonna disappoint him again.

Maw leaned down once more to look at her: "Darling," he whispered with a slightly demented smile, "your compliance is not relevant."

The spike dug into her neck again. This time, Wanda screamed.

***

Tony had a terrible feeling about this.

He and Friday were cautiously making their way through the corridors of the weird circular spaceship, moving towards the front, where they guessed the command room was located. They couldn't detect any heat signatures inside the ship, probably because the walls were too thick or the ship itself had some sort of screening system that made it impervious to their scanners, but after an hour and fifteen minutes roaming the ship without running into anyone, they had both come to the conclusion that it was highly likely Supergiant was the only person left on the ship, since all the Chitauri had been slaughtered back in New York.

That didn't mean they could lower their guard. Who knew what kind of traps were on this ship, and they had no confirmation whatsoever that Supergiant was actually alone in there and didn't have some leftover minion at her disposal.

Tony was especially worried for Friday. Shutting down her servers was something she had never done before, and even if she had told him she was okay, Tony couldn't imagine how she really felt in that moment.

"Friday, how are you?" he asked again, if only to break the silence.

"I'm alright, Boss...I told you, it's not that big of a deal..." she answered, but Tony could see the frown on her face.

"You don't have to appease me, Friday," he said, "You've never shut down your electronics before. If you feel that something's wrong, you have to tell me."

Friday looked at him: "You don't have to worry so much, Boss... It's just..."

Tony perked up. So there _was_ something wrong! "What? What is it?"

he prompted. "It's not about me," she said to calm him down, "but I'm getting this weird, suffused static in my comm... Are you getting it too?" she asked.

At this point it was Tony's turn to furrow his brow. Now that Friday mentioned it, he did hear a very low static noise in his earpiece. It was barely audible, so low that he could probably only notice it because of Extremis enhancing his hearing.

"Huh. Yeah, I'm getting that too..." he told her.

"What do you think it is?" Friday asked then.

"I have no idea... But let's keep an ear on that. It might be important," Tony decided.

Friday simply nodded. They started moving again towards the front of the ship, even more carefully than before. Tony was in front, holding his right hand up, repulsor at the ready, while Friday followed him, watching his back.

They didn't run into any trap, they didn't encounter anybody. Nothing blocked their path. And both of them were starting to think it was only because Supergiant had decided so.

Finally, they reached a short corridor that ended in a sliding door. As soon as they started down the corridor, the door opened, sliding up into the ceiling.

Tony and Friday stopped and looked at each other. There was no need for words.

Friday nodded to him gravely before the helmet of her suit came up, covering her head. Tony took a deep breath before the nanites of his suit reformed his own helmet as well.

When they arrived at the open door and crossed the treshold, they found themselves in an enormous room, bigger than any other room they had found so far on the ship. And they immediately got confirmation that their enemy had been aware of their every move.

Supergiant was there, sitting cross-legged on a big, metallic armchair. Her posture was relaxed and she was smiling at them.

"Well well. Some of Earth's champions seem to have decided to accompany me on my way back. It's heartwarming to know I've made such a good impression," she greeted, flicking her left hand.

A big chunk of metal flew towards them from their left. Tony simply raised his hand and effortlessly blew it to bits without even looking its way.

"Hi, alien woman," he greeted back, "Still a bitch, I see..."

Supergiant's eyes narrowed, but her smile didn't falter: "Just as I thought. Your weapons look more powerful than they did earlier," she noticed.

"It's nanotech, you like it?" Tony asked airily.

Supergiant's smile widened, and Friday noticed that the static in her comm was starting to increase in volume.

"I do," Supergiant answered Tony, "Truly, an impressive piece of technology. But you see, Earthling..."

She rose from her seat and took two steps towards them.

"...strenght and power are only relative when you apply a little leverage."

Friday didn't even have the time to think what she meant with that as Karen's voice finally made it throught the static: "...iday! Friday, watch out!"

Instinctively, Friday ducked to her left, just in time to dodge Spiderman's swinging kick aimed at her head. She was just about to shoot him but she realized just in time who had attacked her. She still managed to react quickly, grabbing him and tossing him away from her, sending him flying towards Supergiant, but he rolled and landed in a crouch just in front of the alien woman.

"...Peter?" Friday called in a broken voice.

Both Friday and Tony stared, completely frozen in shock as Peter rose to his full height, ready to fight them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole Stormbreaker subplot is little iffy to me. In Ragnarok, Thor learned that his power came from within himself and he never really needed Mjolnir in the first place. So, first thing to do in Infinity War, is getting a new hammer. Oookayyy?
> 
> If you liked Peter Dinklage's Eitri, however, don't worry. We'll get to Nidavellir later on in the story.


	8. And Then There Were Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maw is closer than ever to getting the Time Stone from Stephen. Meanwhile, Tony and Friday have found Supergiant... and also someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. This chapter is a week later than usual, but real life has kicked my ass lately. It's getting better though, so I hope I will get the next chapter up in the usual two weeks from now.

No. It wasn't possible.

Peter wasn't even supposed to be on that ship! Karen was supposed to send him home!

"What the hell, Peter!?" Tony bellowed through his shock.

Peter didn't respond. He didn't move an inch, he just stared them down through the mask of the Iron Spider suit while Supergiant rose from her seat and moved to stand behind him.

"What did you do!?" Friday demanded, looking at Supergiant.

The alien woman shrugged, putting her hands on Peter's shoulders and making Friday tremble in rage at the mere sight: "I merely evened out the playing field," she said innocently, "It really wouldn't have been fair if it were the three of you against me alone... A two versus two fight is much more balanced."

Friday growled dangerously: this bitch was mind-controlling Peter. The mere idea of mind control was making her hands itch to wrap around the alien's neck. _Goddamn Blue Maximoff... I will fucking destroy you!_

"Damn it... Why is he even still on this ship in the first place!?" Tony muttered angrily to himself.

Friday didn't answer. Karen did, speaking contritely in their earpieces: "Boss... I had deployed the parachute to send Peter back, but he webbed himself to the ship... I tried, Boss, but Peter didn't want to leave you two to fend for yourselves..." she explained in a pleading tone.

Both Tony and Friday clenched their fists as Supergiant caressed Peter's shoulders. Friday in particular was seething with rage so much by now that the reactors on her suits were already glowing Extremis orange, the superchargers up to full capacity.

"Well then, let's get into it, shall we?" Supergiant jeered before leaning down to whisper into Peter's ear:

"Kill them," she ordered.

Peter leaped into action like a well trained pet.

***

Strange screamed in pain, as several of the glass spikes wedged into his skin. Maw laughed: "Such stubbornness. Do you truly believe you can defy me forever, wizard? The only achievement your resistance will afford you is going to be _more pain!"_ he stated gleefully, as he drove the needles deeper into Strange's body.

From her vantage in front of Strange, Wanda could only hope the doctor could hold on.

Because she needed time. Time to focus her powers.

They seemed completely supperessed by the needle in her neck. 'Seemed' being the operative word.

She didn't know if it was a bizarre twist of fate or a karmic jab to her past misdeeds, but this wasn't the first time Wanda was in this situation.

Those power-suppressing collars they had used years ago when they had captured her... The first ones wasn't completely blocking her powers. She could only hope that now the situation would be the same.

She prayed to whoever was willing to listen that Maw had been sloppy. She tried with all her might to reach out, to feel the familiar red mist, to call upon even a fickle amount of her powers _._

It was nearly insignificant, so much so that she herself had barely noticed it. But as Maw was torturing her earlier, she had felt it: that minuscule flicker of familiar scarlet running through her, reacting to the vicious attack, protecting her from it as much as it could. Almost a knee-jerk reaction, most likely involuntary.

She tried to reach it, to get her grasp on that tiny sliver of power, but she couldn't. She couldn't feel anything.

She kept trying, but without success. Maybe that needle really _was_ blocking her powers completely... maybe that involuntary reaction when her powers tried to protect her was just that: involuntary. Something akin to the last spasms of a dead animal...

_No. I can do this. I know I can._

_I have to!_

She tried to concentrate harder, but she also had to be careful not to give anything away.

She had to play it right. She couldn't afford Maw to notice what she was trying to do. If he attacked her in this state, she would be dead. Hell, Maw had defeated her without much effort when she was in perfect fighting conditions...

No, she had to attack Maw now, as he tortured Strange, while his guard was lowered. She had to overpower him somehow, attack his mind and find a way to escape from this ship.

But the only way she could do that, was to get ahold of her powers. And until then, she had to be subtle.

Most importantly, this time she absolutely could _not_ screw it up.

Last time she had found herself in this situation, she had become careless and Friday had stopped her. _And thank God she did,_ her mind supplied. Wanda had been about to make a terrible mistake. A mistake Tony would have suffered for.

Not this time, though. This time she was actually in the right. She was trying to help, to keep this disgusting alien from obtaining the Time Stone for his master. This time, her plan _had_ to work.

So she had fallen into a familiar pattern: playing helpless as her opponent turned his back on her. When Maw had stopped torturing her to bring his attention back to Strange, she had only allowed herself a few moments to catch her breath and blink away the tears in her eyes. As the excruciating pain subsided enough for her to recover and she looked up to Maw and Strange, she knew she didn't have much time. The doctor was not going to resist much longer.

So she took one last, deep breath and steadied herself. She _had_ to make it, she had to reach what pitiful fragments of her power that she had involuntarily summoned earlier, all the while trying and not to alert Maw of what she was doing.

It was difficult. She had to be exceptionally careful, she could feel that this man was a powerful psychic. But at the same time, she had to hurry up, or he would break Strange before she could do anything useful.

_Hold on, Doctor... Please, hold on..._

***

Tony was furiously brawling with Supergiant. His repulsors lit up the entire room as they sent one deadly shot after the other towards the alien telepath, but she was faster. So far, she had managed to dodge each and every shot.

Friday had had a little more luck, managing to grab Peter in a headlock the moment he tried to rush her.

"Peter, I know you can hear me! You have to snap out of it!" she yelled in his ear. _Come on Peter, I know you're in there... I don't want to hurt you, please..._

But Peter didn't listen. He managed to wiggle free of her grasp before futilely trying to trigger his web-shooters a couple times. They didn't work.

He went for a punch instead. Friday braced herself as the right hook aimed at her face slammed against the vambrace of her armor as she blocked the attack.

"Thanks, Karen," Friday said as she realized Peter's AI had disabled the Iron Spider's web-shooters, forcing him to fight hand to hand.

Karen didn't reply as Tony swooped in. He was quick to grab Peter by the other arm and throw him away, making him lose balance, but Iron Man was unable to follow up on the attack as Supergiant attacked as well, forcing him to dodge. Friday noticed that instead of trying to punch him, she had thrusted her open hand out as if to grab his face.

_Trying to mind-control Boss too,_ she realized much to her horror, as Tony retaliated with a repulsor shot. It struck her in the gut and Supergiant winced visibly, losing her footing enough that when Tony pressed on with a roundhouse kick to the head, she wasn't able to counter it.

The alien was sent flying backwards and fell flat onto the floor, but used her momentum to roll back into a crouch. Peter ran in front of her, before starting to move to attack Tony.

But then, the moment Friday raised her repulsors against Supergiant, Peter immediately aborted his attack and placed himself between Friday and her target.

"He's protecting her," Tony growled as Supergiant got to her feet and lunged at him again, laughing hysterically like the maniac she was.

Friday saw red.

That bitch hadn't just violated Peter's mind and made him her puppet. Now she was also making him protect her, hiding behind him like a coward and using him as a human shield!?

_She has to DIE!_

Peter attacked again, and Friday sidestepped him to have a clean shot on his enthraller. Before Supergiant could get into another brawl with Iron Man, Friday raised her arm against her and triggered one of her most powerful weapons.

A red laser beam cut through Supergiant's solar plexus.

Absolute surprise took over the alien woman's features, before she coughed up black blood and dropped down on one knee, holding her sliced abdomen as more blood started trickling down her body from the new, deep and long wound.

Friday growled in frustration at her opponent's resilience. She had expected her laser to cut the alien clean in half! It would have been over now if it had...

Unfortunately, she hesitated a moment too long before attacking again.

Supergiant turned to her and raised a hand, before pulling the arm back and closing her hand in a fist. Both the floor under Friday's feet and the ceiling above her head collapsed, and in a split second there was but a big, black hole full of debris where Lady Iron had stood.

***

Nothing. It wasn't working.

Her powers were still out of reach. She couldn't summon them.

She had tried. She had tried with everything she had, but it was no use. That damned needle in her neck had completely paralyzed her. There was absolutely nothing she could do.

Tears of frustration started to roll down her cheeks. She could _feel_ her powers! She had felt them protecting her not five minutes ago! Why were they unresponsive? Why were they failing her now, when she needed them most?

Again, she tried to struggle. Again, that blasted needle blocked every imput from her brain, and again, she didn't even manage to move a finger.

She was completely helpless.

She was completely useless.

She looked up again, once more seeing Maw torture Strange.

_I'm sorry, Doctor... I can't do anything..._

When Strange screamed again, Wanda gritted her teeth. The frustration was rapidly being replaced by utter rage. If it wasn't for that cursed spike in her neck, she would already have-

Her eyes bulged.

_The spike..._

The spike in her neck had moved back. Wanda was sure of it: the shard was no longer wedged as deep as before into her spine.

She had managed to push it back.

It was almost imperceptible, just a few millimetres, but she had pushed it back!

She hadn't felt her powers act, but that didn't mean they didn't work... She narrowed her eyes as her mouth contorted into a devious smile. Maw was still engrossed in trying to coerce Strange. She could concentrate on trying to dislodge the spike.

She could do this.

***

"Friday, NO!!"

As he watched the floor Friday was standing on collapse, followed by the portion of ceiling right above her head, as he watched his daughter fall and disappear under an avalanche of debris, Tony felt as if his heart was being ripped off his chest.

He sprinted towards the massive hole, but before he could get there, Peter got in front of him. Tony stopped, and had to fight the urge to just bitchslap him out of the way.

_Goddammit Peter, why the hell did you stay!? You were supposed to go home!_

"I'm okay, Boss... I'm okay..."

Friday's voice coming through his comm, though a little strained, felt like a godsend. He felt the relief wash through him, but before he could move, Peter attacked him again.

Tony blocked Peter's kick and retaliated by grabbing him by the left upper arm and slamming him into the floor. He could have set the repulsors to just enough power to stun him and take him out of the fight right then and there, but he froze.

No, he couldn't hurt Peter! _He couldn't!_

Peter recovered and leaped out of the way. He jumped up and stuck to the wall to his left, trying to recover for a moment.

Tony didn't let him, shooting both his repulsors. Peter was unable to dodge them, but even so, Tony knew that the Iron Spider suit was going to absorbe the hit without problem. Peter wasn't gonna stay down for long.

If he wanted to do some actual damage he had to turn the power up at least ten per cent more, but he just couldn't. He refused to hurt Peter!

Seeing him hesitate, Supergiant laughed.

Tony turned to her, seeing her down on one knee and trying to get up, holding her wounded and bleeding abdomen with both her arms, but smiling a demented smile as blood trickled down her mouth as well.

He felt Extremis surge inside him from the anger.

As he moved to finish the alien off once and for all, however, she once again decided to play dirty and hide behind Peter.

"Stop him!" she rasped, pointing at Tony.

A moment later, Peter was once again placing himself between them, facing Tony and drawing into a battle stance.

Tony growled in anger and frustration. He couln't attack Peter!

He had to find another way. He had to restrain him! He had...

He had an idea.

"Karen, talk to me! Is Iron Spider fully operational?" he barked in the comms as Peter and Supergiant regrouped in front of him.

"Yes Boss, all systems are nominal," Karen replied frantically.

"Alright. Get ready to block him. Use the appendages," Tony said then.

It took only a moment for Karen to agree: "I'm ready," the young AI responded.

Supergiant laughed again, more blood trickling down her mouth as she shakily got to her feet, still holding the wound on her abdomen with both arms: "What's the matter, Earthling? Are you not ready to kill one of your own in order to win? Because if so, then you should just surrender. There's no other way for you to come out on top," she scoffed.

Tony didn't answer. He was about to show her just how wrong she was.

He only hoped his plan would work.

A moment later, Peter attacked again, jumping towards him.

"Now, Karen!" Tony shouted.

All of a sudden, four appendages that looked every bit like spider legs sprouted out of the Spiderman logo on the back of Peter's suit, digging into the floor and anchoring Peter to it, unceremoniously yanking him back mid-leap. Peter gave an awkward yelp before the appendages curled to shove him further backwards and away from the fight. He thrashed, trying to break free of the restraints of his own suit, but Karen held him in place.

Supergiant turned to him in surprise. _There_ was Tony's opening.

He felt the rage take over, and he _let_ it.

Extremis burned in his veins like liquid fire before being drained by the superchargers of his armor as he unleashed a barrage of repulsor blasts at the woman in front of him. Never before had he been so savage in attacking an enemy as he bombarded his opponent with everything he had.

Supergiant screamed under the volley of blows, trying and failing to dodge Tony's relentless attacks until her legs gave out underneath her. She still tried to protect herself from the terrible onslaught by crossing her arms in front of her, but it was useless.

For the first time in her life, she was scared of someone other than Thanos.

Then Tony finally stopped. Defeated, the alien woman dropped on her knees, several third degree burns marring almost her entire body, barely able to keep herself upright. She was still holding her left arm around her lasered abdomen, but the right arm was _gone,_ vaporized from the elbow down.

Tony was out of breath. He let the nanites of the helmet retract back into the suit to try and breath easier.

It was Mark 50's problem. The new high capacity superchargers were vastly more powerful than the previous ones, but they drained too much Extremis. He hadn't had the time to fix the issue before these damned aliens attacked.

Even if the anger and the adrenaline were almost making him forget his current state, Tony couldn't even stay on his feet anymore. He dropped to his knees trying to catch his breath.

Supergiant, despite her current predicament, smiled a nasty smile: "Well played, Earthling..." she breathed, "very well played... but the children of the Almighty Thanos are not so easily vanquished..."

She coughed up more blood before continuing: "He will end half the Universe... With all the Stones he can do it with a snap of his fingers... Everything you know... and love... gone in an instant..." she stopped to catch her breath, but then resumed: "But don't worry, you will be spared the pain of witnessing the magnitude of your failure..."

Gritting her teeth, she shakily managed to get to her feet, even though she nearly doubled over in pain as she stood, before slowly forcing herself upright again and starting to limp towards him: "You should not have defied us..." she added, propping herself on the wall to her right as she continued to move towards him. She fell down on her knees at one point, but managed to get back up and keep walking, until finally she came to a stop right in front of him.

She was mortally wounded, and she probably knew it. But maybe, she could still take him out before she exhaled her last breath. She could still attack him, or sway his mind...

Tony was completely out of breath, but she was almost down. He had to get up and finish her!

He didn't know what Supergiant intended to do, and he would never find out.

Because before Supergiant could do anything, two armored hands grabbed her face and the back of her head. The alien woman's eyes bulged in surprise, before Friday viciously wrung her neck.

The sickening crack of snapping vertebrae resonated in the big, empty room as Supergiant's lifeless body fell to the ground in a heap of limbs, like a puppet with its string suddenly cut.

Friday stood behind the fallen alien, her helmet down and her eyes glazing with Extremis, breathing heavily in anger and looking down at her in rage and disgust. Her armor had a few scratches, but was still fully functional.

"I _hate_ generic bad guy speeches," she muttered angrily. She then stepped right over Supergiant's crumpled form and knelt down in front of him: "Boss... Are you alright? How are you feeling!?" she asked with concern.

Tony took a breath of relief. It was finally over.

"I'm alright... Thank you, Friday... I just need to catch my breath..."

"Iron Destroyer drains too much Extremis... I told you, Boss," Friday chided in a worried tone. But Tony was interrupted before he could respond.

"Boss! Friday!"

As Karen's frantic calls got their attention and they turned towards Peter, both felt their heart leap in their throat.

Karen had removed his mask. Peter was completely limp, hanging from the appendages on the Iron Spider suit like a jacket on a coat rack.

"Oh God! Peter!" Friday exclaimed.

She rushed to him as Karen released the appendages and Peter fell into her arms.

"What's going on!?" Tony demanded as he shakily got up and came over.

"He's unconscious... I don't..." Friday started.

Tony cursed inwardly as he turned to face the dead alien woman at his feet: "This bitch must have done something to him..."

"He's not breathing! Initiating emergency life support measures!" Karen said frantically as she re-engaged the mask on Peter's suit.

In the next few moments, the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. The heavy silence was only broken by the suffused hissing of the respirator in Peter's mask.

"Come on, Peter..." Friday begged in a barely audible voice.

***

_Come on... A little bit more... Just a little bit more..._

Wanda had focused all her efforts on one thing and one thing only: dislodge the spike that was blocking her neck.

And she was doing it. She was actually pushing it back. It was just a matter of seconds...

But then Maw turned.

Wanda's eyes bulged. He must have sensed what she was trying to do...

The alien's repulsive face twisted into a sneer as he raised a hand. Wanda could only brace herself, wondering if this time he would kill her for her defiance. But Maw never had the chance to do anything.

All of a sudden, a red blur wrapped itself around Maw's head. It took Wanda a moment to recognize Strange's cloak, the Cloak of Levitation.

"Gah! What is this!?" Maw exclaimed, reaching for the cloak and trying to pull it off, but the cloak held fast, and instead started thrashing until Maw tripped on his own feet and fell backwards on the floor.

It was exactly what both Wanda and Strange needed: Maw's concentration had been disrupted. He could no longer control his blasted needles.

Wanda concentrated as much as she could, pushing against the spike in her neck with all she had. Without Maw's power to counter hers, it took all but two seconds.

As soon as the needle was out, she shattered it with her psionics as her power flooded thorugh her entire body The shackles holding her down soon followed, and fell to the floor in bent and twisted metal, smoking vermillion.

It was payback time.

Red engulfed everything. She threw her powers at Maw without holding back in the slightest. The Cloak of Levitation barely had the time to unwrap itself from the alien's head before he was thrown backwards by Wanda's massive burst of power.

She hadn't thought before attacking. She hadn't thought of attacking his mind with her telepathy, or attcking his body with her telekinesis. She had just wanted to hurt that disgusting alien, and had lashed out at him. But as he was flung backwards, into the wall and right through it by her powers, she caught something in his mind. Barely a glimpse, a few images...

An alien city, on a distant planet. Big, technologically advanced and with a thriving culture, populated by many different people, form many different planets of the entire galaxy.

A fortress, in the center of the city. The physical embodiment of the technological might of the empire that built it. Well defended, nearly impenetrable. And in it, an artifact holding an incredible power.

A purple, glowing gem.

***

For a couple of minutes Peter remained unresponsive. Both Tony and Friday didn't dare utter a sound as Karen operated the in-built life support system of his suit.

"He's still unresponsive," Karen said gravely, "Heart rate is dropping to critical levels... Engaging defibrillator, charge three hundred," she announced.

Peter's body jerked upwards as Karen shocked him, but still it wasn't enough to revive him. Friday was looking at him with utter fear in her eyes, both hands covering her mouth.

"Again, Karen," Tony commanded, trying his best to keep his voice from shaking.

"Charge three-sixty," Karen answered, shocking Peter again.

For a moment it looked like another failed attempt. But then Peter's eyes suddenly snapped open and he jerked up in a sitting position, inhaling sharply as Karen removed his mask once again to allow him to breathe better.

"Peter! Oh, thank God... It's okay, Peter, breathe..." Friday soothed, putting her hands on his shoulders.

Peter's wild eyes darted around the room before focusing on Tony and Friday: "W-what happened!? That woman is-" he started in an agitated voice, before noticing the corpse of the alien in question a few feet away from them.

"...oh," he finished awkwardly.

"It's over, Peter," Friday assured, hugging him and blocking the dead body from his line of sight, "she's dead..."

It took a few moments for Peter to calm down. He was scared out of his mind... for some reason.

Tony looked at him apprehensively: "You alright?" he asked. He was still winded and breathing heavily as Iron Destroyer had taken its toll on him in the battle against Supergiant.

"I think so," Peter breathed as Friday let him go, but he was still confused: "What... How did you find me? I don't-"

"The alien chick brainwashed you into fighting us..." Tony gritted out, now sounding pissed, "Are you sure you're alright? Karen, how are his vitals?"

"Peter's heart rate is still a little high, but it's stabilizing, Boss," Karen replied, "He doesn't seem to have suffered any physical injury. Only a massive scare," she answered analytically.

Peter winced. He looked at both Tony and Friday, and while they looked mainly just relieved that he was alright, it was clear that they were angry too. And it was also clear that Tony's anger in particular wasn't only directed at the alien for brainwashing him. If he had just listened to Tony and allowed Karen to take him away, he wouldn't have been there to be brainwashed in the first place.

"Yes... I'm okay, Mr. Stark..." he said, looking down.

"So, you don't remember anything at all of what just happened?" Tony asked then, even more pissed. He hadn't even bothered trying to correct Peter when he had called him Mr. Stark.

Peter flinched even more: "...I-"

"She made you fight us!" Tony spat, "She used you like a puppet to try and kill me and Friday! Do you understand!?"

Peter paled.

_Oh God... I fought Tony and Friday? I... I could have hurt them?_

Friday, still placing herself in front of Peter so he couldn't see Supergiant's corpse, tried to intercede: "Boss... Supergiant probably ambushed him. This is her ship, after all, we were fighting her on her home field... Peter most likely couldn't have avoided it-"

"Don't defend him, Friday!" Tony interrupted, "That's all the more reason to go home when I told him to!"

Friday flinched and shut her mouth. Tony had a point, after all.

"Do you understand what could have happened!?" Tony demanded, once again facing Peter, who was looking absolutely miserable right now: "That alien witch was using you as a human shield! She made you attack both me and Friday! She could have forced us to hurt you, or worse..."

He didn't finish, still breathing heavily from exhaustion, instead growling in frustration at Peter's stubbornness and leaving the implication just hanging in the air.

Peter was on the verge of crying: _I've disappointed him... I've let him down, both him and Friday..._

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Stark..." he repeated miserably.

Tony seemed to finally calm down, seeing Peter like that. He took a deep exhasperated breath, noticing how Friday was awkwardly shifting her gaze between the two. Still a little winded, Tony took a few moments to catch his breath before speaking again: "Look, kid... I know that Supergiant could have ambushed any of us, I just... I'm slightly on edge, okay? I told Karen to send you home because I don't want you to get hurt! And then you go and web yourself to an alien spaceship-"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt either..." Peter interrupted him, even though his tone was still miserable. He still managed to leave Tony speechless.

Peter wiped at his eyes and finally mustered up the courage to look up at him: "Mr. Stark, I... I care about you. You and Friday are two of the people I care about the most in my life. If I went home and either of you got hurt, I... I couldn't have forgiven myself..."

Friday looked like she was about to cry as well now, as she squeezed his shoulder lightly and gave him a watery smile, before hugging him again. Tony's stern expression hadn't completely left his face, but he had not been left indifferent by Peter's speech either.

He took another deep breath, and visibly deflated. "Alright. Apology accepted, for now," he finally relented, "Come on, we have another spaceship to catch..."

***

"One of your children is dead."

Thanos turned at the scoffing voice. The cloaked woman beside him gave him a derisive smile.

Thanos grimaced. He didn't like her tone, or her demeanor, but he couldn't afford to lose her favour. After eliminating half of the universe, she would be essential to him and to the second part of his project.

"Which one?" he asked.

"The psychic, Supergiant. I can sense her life force no longer," she replied.

Thanos tried to feign indifference: "Ebony Maw was with her. He can still accomplish their mission."

"Perhaps," the woman conceded, shrugging, "but apparently, the Earthlings are not as weak as you thought... I haven't put my money on the wrong horse, have I?"

Thanos clenched his fists at her teasing tone. He had to make a good impression with her, and this setback was definitely embarrassing...

But he could distract her from it.

"Worry not, my love. The Black Order remains formidable, even without Supergiant. They will bring me the Stones."

The woman eyed him, clearly not convinced: "and if they don't?"

Thanos smiled: "I will get them myself," he assured her.

She leaned back in her seat: "You sound determined," she observed.

"I am, my love. Balance is my goal. It always has been, just like it's always been yours."

She didn't respond this time. Thanos rose from his seat and offered his hand to help her stand too. Maybe now would be the right time to spoil her a little.

"Come, my Goddess. I have arranged a little surprise for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You had probably already guessed what the problem with the Iron Destroyer suit was: it drains Tony's Extremis too much when used at maximum power. Also, yes, there's a second part to Thanos' plan after erasing half the universe. We'll get to that later on.
> 
> Next chapter will bring us back on Earth. And it will also reintroduce us to a few old characters that we've last seen in Tony's Girl and that you may or may not be enthusiastic to meet again... yeah, it's them :-S.


	9. Wild Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> introducing a few old characters in the story... as well as a new, key player.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... Rogers is here. And he brought his merry band of idiots along for the ride.
> 
> Hopefully the Avengers can still win this war.

This was what he had hoped for.

After leaving Siberia behind, after leaving Tony to die, because he had been too focused on getting Bucky to safety to worry about anything else, and after breaking his team out of the very prison he was now held in, he had hoped for this. For a massive catastrophe, maybe another alien invasion. Tony had said it would happen sooner or later, he seemed convinced that New York had only been the first skirmish of a much bigger war to come. Steve had always dismissed his worries, but when he landed in Wakanda with his newly liberated team... he had hoped Tony was actually right.

And that a second invasion would come before Tony could start hunting them down.

Everything would have been fixed if it did: he and his team could come back and save the day. They would be welcomed back with open arms after having saved the world from catastrophe once more, and they would be lauded as heroes, as angels among humans, and the world at large would understand what a terrible idea the Accords had been. At that point, all he had to do was just ask, suggest for the Accords to be scrapped, and everything would go back to normal.

Tony would apologize, to him, to Bucky and to the rest of his team (because they were his team, not Tony's. Never Tony's) and they would go back to being the family they were before. Bucky would become an Avenger, and Steve would once again lead them into battle just like he always had, with Tony still funding them, providing for their every need and working behind the scenes to solve all of their problems.

Looking back at it now, he was _disgusted_ with himself.

He couldn't believe he had been so selfish. _Hoping_ for an alien invasion? _Hoping_ for the world to be endangered? What the heck was wrong with him!?

And now, since destiny apparently has a twisted sense of irony, an alien invasion was coming for real. Tony had been right.

Of course he had been right.

Steve knew he wouldn't have the happy ending he had built in his head before everything went to hell. His team was shattered, all of them in jail, while _Tony's_ Avengers were working better than ever. Tony's Avengers had truly become the family he had hoped his team would be. They had just done so without him.

At the end of this, he wouldn't go back to the luxurious Avengers Compound. He wouldn't be leading the Avengers, with Tony Stark's financial, technological and logistical backing. At the end of this, there would be no reinstatement, no undeserved apologies, nobody welcoming him back.

But maybe, he could still right some wrongs.

That's what he told himself as the guards escorted him to the meeting room, their guns trained towards him as if he would attack them again. Two years, and they still hadn't understood that he didn't have anything to attack them for anymore.

But that didn't matter now. He would show them he was not the villain they thought he was.

The catastrophe he had hoped for had come. It wouldn't be the triumphant return he had concocted in his mind, that he had dreamed of, but it was still an opportunity to make things right. And he intended to fully use this opportunity.

They arrived at the meeting room, and his visitor was already there, waiting.

"Nick," he greeted, "Good to see you again."

"Rogers," Fury greeted back, with a scowl that would have intimidated anyone. But Steve Rogers was not 'anyone'.

Steve walked up to the reinforced ballistic glass separating him from the other man: "How's it going? Did you speak with the Committee?" he wanted to know.

"I did," Fury answered, without giving anything away.

"And?" Steve prompted impatiently.

Before Fury could say anything more, another man entered the room and came to stand next to the former spy. Steve remembered seeing him at his trial, three years ago: Isaiah Bradley, the American delegate in the Sokovia Accords Central Committee.

Thaddeus Ross' replacement.

"Mr. Rogers," Bradley started, "Colonel Fury has spoken before the Accords Committee to vouch for your assistance in the current situation, as well as your former team’s."

Steve straightened his back: "I'm ready to fight. All of us are."

"Yes, you made that abundantly clear three years ago," Bradley stated, not without a hint of disgust.

Steve was tired of everyone reminding him of his mistakes: "Are we really going to do this right now?" he asked challengingly, "I've seen the news. The Avengers barely repelled the attack-"

"And you think you and your team could have countered said attack more effectively?" Bradley interrupted him, it being clear in his tone what he thought of that idea.

"I think that if my team and I were there with the Avengers instead of sitting on our hands in prison, we could have helped them."

"Maybe so. Or maybe you would just have gotten into the Avengers' way and made it all worse," Bradley replied, before taking another step towards the glass divider: "The whole world knows how you roll by now. It's always your way or the highway. You have a horrible track record when it comes to following orders."

Steve pursed his lips: "Like I said, I've seen the news. Tony and Friday Stark are both missing, along with Spiderman. Earth just lost three of its best defenders. And you're just going to let us rot in jail while aliens invade our planet?"

Bradley looked at him as if he was some disgusting bug. Stupid paper-pusher.

But then, the delegate narrowed his eyes: "I, Mr. Rogers, am not going to do anything. I'm only here to discuss the terms of your temporary release."

Steve gave him a look: "Terms? What terms?"

It was Fury who answered this time: "You will be released into the custody of the Avengers until the alien threat is contained and eliminated. You will operate under the direct supervision of the Avengers, and will be subjected to the Avengers' chain of command. That means the leader of the Avengers, Colonel Rhodes, will be the one to deploy you as he sees fit. If that entails integrating you into his team to fight as one unit or leave you to do your own thing, that's for him to decide. In any case, you will have to follow his orders to a tee. The moment you step out of line, the Avengers are authorized to use whatever means necessary to stop you."

Steve's jaw dropped: "You're kidding, right?" he spluttered, "The world is burning and you're still treating us like _we_ are the villains!?"

"Yes, Rogers. Because you _are_ villains."

Bradley's reply left Steve speechless. The delegate continued, his face now even darker: "Nobody trusts you and your friends _not_ to step out of line. Not the Committee, not the people of the world, and certainly not the Avengers. The only way they can agree to this is if they know that the Avengers can take you out if you suddenly decide you know better than anyone else."

Steve clenched his fists.

It wasn't fair. He could have handled certain things differently, but calling him a villain? That was a bit much. And his team didn't deserve it in the slightest. They had just been following his orders, after all.

It took Steve a moment to find his footing again: "Look... I know I made mistakes. And yes, maybe these... conditions are not unfair in my case. But my mistakes are mine alone. My team was just following my orders-"

"Which they chose to do," Bradley interrupted, "Nobody pointed a gun at their collective heads and told them to follow you, or else. They wouldn't be in jail if they didn’t break the law because they chose to. And that's a moot point either way, because you people are no longer a team."

Steve narrowed his eyes in confusion: "What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what I said," Bradley explained, "The so-called 'Team Cap' doesn't exist anymore. If you accept the terms, you'll be speaking only for yourself. Clint Barton, Sam Wilson, Scott Lang, and yes, even James Barnes will all be offered the same deal you are being offered now, and each of them - individually - will choose to accept or refuse it."

Again, Steve didn't know what to say.

He had at least hoped that his team wouldn't be disbanded. That he could at least repair the trust, the camaraderie that had existed between the members of his team before they were all caught. Before Tony and the Avengers captured them and tore them apart. But apparently, it was not to be.

At least Bucky was being offered the chance to fight too. Maybe Steve could at least try to fix _that._

God, the last time he had seen him was still haunting Steve's nights. Bucky had gone mad, yelling and punching at the divider wall between his and Steve's cell at the Avengers Compound, trying to break the glass and attack Steve. And for what? Only because Steve had omitted to tell him Wanda had gotten her powers from Hydra...

Bucky had overreacted badly. Maybe it was true that his brain was damaged, after decades of brainwashing... But if now he was being offered the chance to fight, it meant he was faring better, right?

Steve wanted to ask, wanted to know, he wanted it so badly. But he didn't trust Bradley - or Fury - nearly enough. He would get his answers later on, when he was reunited with Bucky. He was sure.

He decided to focus on something else: "And you call this a 'deal'? Get out there and fight, do exactly as Rhodes says and don't even dare to look at him funny or he will shoot you dead? I knew you people and your Accords were just gonna turn us into mindless attack dogs..."

Bradley narrowed his eyes, but again it was Fury who answered: "You wouldn't have been in this position if you hadn't thrown an epic tantrum three years ago. You should be grateful that they're even offering you this chance."

"A chance to do what?" Steve wanted to know now, "Fight your fights and then go back to prison? Do we at least get a sentence reduction for our contribution?"

Bradley pursed his lips: "That depends on the contribution. After the alien threat is eliminated, each one of you will have their efforts on the battlefield analyzed, and your sentences will be... adjusted, accordingly."

Steve shook his head: "That's not good enough. You can't just expect us to go out there with only your word that you will shave off some jail time if we fight well."

Fury scoffed: "I was under the impression that you were a man who makes the sacrifice play, Rogers. Why don't you tell Delegate Bradley what you told Stark back when Loki was on the loose? That he had to stop pretending to be a hero, that the only thing he fought for was himself?"

Steve looked at him with a horrified expression. Fury scoffed even harder: "What? Don't remember your own words? Or did you _compartmentalize_ that little discussion? Just like you did with the truth about Stark's parents?"

No, Steve remembered it. He remembered it perfectly. Just like he remembered grilling Fury about compartmentalization, right after finding out who the Winter Soldier really was.

_"Look, I didn't know about Barnes."_

_"Even if you knew, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too!?"_

He had given Fury a pep-talk about the importance of trust and the wrongness of keeping secrets, and then he had done the exact same thing with Tony about his parents. God, when had he become such a hypocrite?

Bradley cut the discussion short, snapping Steve out of his morose thoughts: "This is the offer on the table, Rogers. Take it or leave it. I'm not here to negotiate."

***

Helen and Bruce had just finished their tests on Vision, and they didn't have good news.

"He is damaged very badly," Helen breathed with a sense of defeat, "That wound is not life-threatening... I don't think so, at least. His body is healing a little, just like a human body would, but his wounds are very severe. He definitely can't fight again in these conditions."

"I'm actually surprised he held out as long as he did," added Bruce.

Rhodey nodded grimly, looking at the android laying in one of the infirmary beds in the next room. Vision was... well, he was more than a friend. In a way, he was Tony's kid, just like Jo and Friday.

He was family.

"Do you think you can fix him?" Rhodey asked the two doctors.

Helen shook her head: "Unfortunately, even the Cradle wouldn't help. It was able to build his body, but repairing it is another matter entirely..."

Rhodey took a deep breath: "So you're saying even the Cradle can't heal him?"

"We need time to figure it out," Bruce replied, "I know time is not on our side, but Vision's physiology is made of unknowns piled on top of unknowns. A vibranium body is not the same as a flesh and blood one."

That made Rhodey think.

_Vibranium..._

_Wakanda..._

Those guys apparently brushed their teeth with vibranium. Maybe they could help...

"Alright. I need you two to write a report on Vision's condition and submit it to the Accords Committee, specifically to the attantion of the Wakandan delegate, Princess Shuri Udaku. Vision is made of vibranium, and Shuri is apparently the world's foremost expert on that shit. She might be able to see things we don't."

"Right," Bruce answered, immediately moving away to do what the Colonel had asked.

Rhodey and Helen were about to go back in the infirmary to inform Vision, but Jocasta's voice stopped them: "Colonel Rhodes, incoming call from Delegate Bradley, of the Sokovia Accords Central Committee.

***

"They did _what!?"_

Pepper was bristling with rage. Rhodey couldn't really remember ever seeing her like that. Not that he blamed her, really.

"They granted Rogers and his crew temporary pardons to fight Thanos' forces when they come back," Rhodey repeated to her in a neutral voice.

Pepper's left eye twitched: "And they're bringing them _here!?_ In Tony's house!?"

Rhodey sighed in defeat: "Yeah. Since we had our asses nearly handed to us by those aliens, the Committee was spooked enough to think that we need all the reinforcements available. I tried to explain that we were caught by surprise, and that Rogers' boyband would bring us more trouble than help, but they wouldn't listen to reason. I couldn't avoid it. Rogers and his crew are coming here."

"All of them?" Sharon asked. It was clear who she was referring to.

"Apparently so," Rhodey huffed, "They think the situation is dire enough to bring even Barnes out of the looney bin. His psychiatrists said he did make a bit of progress with the brainwashing, and the Chitauri shouldn't know his trigger words anyway."

Paxton shook his head: "That's just idiotic. Mental health aside, they have been in prison for more than two and a half years now! What's the Committee thinking, that they'll be ready to fight as soon as they get here? They haven't had any sort of combat training other than the occasional prison riot since 2016!"

"Exactly!" Pepper was quick to back him up: "Besides, didn't they take Barnes' metal arm off before they sent him to that mental asylum? And what about Wilson and Lang? Do they even remember how their suits work?"

"Agreed," Carol interjected, "Out of their suits, they're nothing but baseline humans. At least Wilson has military training, but if that's the minimal requirement, why didn't the Committee pick someone else from the Air Force - maybe someone with a cleaner criminal record - and give _them_ the Falcon suit? This is bullshit on so many levels..."

"I know, and that's what I told them," Rhodey replied, "They said there isn't time to look up other potential candidates. So we're stuck with those assholes."

Rhodey believed in the Accords, he really did, but the Committee was just plain wrong this time. Yes, the current situation was an emergency, but throwing criminals against the Chitauri wasn’t gonna make things better. It could actually make then worse.

"So, a super soldier with a God complex, another one who’s monoplegic and half crazy, a complete moron who's only good at stealing shit, a jackass who thinks the sun shines out of Captain America's ass, and a douchebag with a bow and arrow," Paxton surmised, "The Committee thinks these guys can help us against Thanos? I respectfully disagree."

Rhodey sighed again: "Believe me, I like it even less than you do."

And he did. He was furious about this. He understood that those Chitauri in New York had scared the Committee and caused them to make hasty decisions, but pulling criminals out of jail to bolster the Avengers' numbers without even consulting him? That was flat out ridiculous. And disrespectful.

That was precisely the reason he had demanded complete authority over those criminals. He wouldn't have accepted it if the Committee hadn't agreed to his terms.

"Then why do you look so bored?"

Rhodey turned to Natasha at her question. Nat took pride in her perceptiveness, but this time even a five year old could see he was taking the news much better than he should have.

"Because," he sneered smugly, "those jackasses are gonna be under MY command. The Committee has given me - and all the Avengers - authorization to put them down by any means necessary at the first sign of insubordination. And I can't wait to finally see Rogers snap at attention and salute me like he goddamn should have right from the start."

At his explanation, everybody seemed to suddenly relax. That was an arrangement they could work with.

Sharon and Paxton smirked evilly, and while Natasha had more self control, Rhodey could see her shoulders relaxing as well. But the best reaction was Pepper’s.

She actually started smiling, in a way that promised nothing good, and looked up to the ceiling: "Jocasta?" she called.

"Boss-Lady?"

"Looks like Rogers and his pets are coming here. I want to be prepared..."

The AI replied in a tone that did not bode well for the returning rogues: "Rescue armor, powering up now."

***

The flight to the Compound was definitely going down in history as one of the most awkward moments of Steve's life.

He and Clint had been flown out of the Raft together. That had been annoying enough, with Clint ranting and raving like a lunatic about how Tony was actually a villain disguising himself as a hero, a rich and spoiled asshole who only fed his lies to the world and who had an affair with his wife and with Natasha (where did _that_ come from?).

They had landed at an Army base in New Jersey. There, they had been reunited with the others.

Scott had been in a relatively positive mood, though Steve suspected it was more due to finally being out of jail - albeit temporarily - and having the chance to have his sentence revised, than because he was happy to see him. In fact, when Steve had greeted him and held out his hand, Scott had sent him a wary glance and had hesitated before shaking it.

But at least he had shaken it.

When Sam and Bucky had arrived, they had behaved in a rather different way.

Sam had just given him a curt nod and then refused to even look his way again. Then hehad gotten into the big troop transport helicopter that was going to take them to the Avengers Compound without uttering a word.

Steve had felt a pang of sadness: Sam had been a good friend, and he was sorry that friendship had been ruined.

It had not been all Steve's fault. He hadn't forgotten Sam's testimony at his trial, how Sam had been more than happy to throw him under the bus to save his own skin. But it was still disheartening: Sam had been one of the few positive things in this new century, and losing his support stung. However, if Sam wasn't gonna show even an ounce of good will, Steve was not gonna force him to rebuild that bridge.

Bucky was another matter entirely.

Seeing him arrive had been a breath of fresh air for Steve. He was still missing his metal arm, but he looked healthy and calm. Until he laid his eyes on Steve.

It felt like a tremendous punch to the gut to see him tense up and point at him with hatred in his eyes: "What the heck is he doing here!?" he had demanded.

"Same thing as you," Fury had replied: "helping the Avengers save the world."

"And you trust _him_ to help save the world!? He was working with that Hydra witch!" Bucky had retorted, and Steve hadn't been able to stay quiet:

"Bucky, Wanda was just a kid! She was misguided and made wrong decisions, but she changed! She helped us, she could have helped..."

He hadn't finished that phrase. _She could have helped you._

But Bucky had understood anyway. At that point, his eyes had bulged in disgust and disbelief: "Oh my God... So Stark was right! You were actually going to let that Hydra wench fiddle with my head! Jesus Christ Steve, what's wrong with you? Did she get into your head too or were you always that stupid!? Because at this point I don't even recognize you!"

Steve had shaken his head in frustration: "Bucky, how can't you see-"

"Enough!" Fury had bellowed then, cutting him off: "I don't have time for this bullshit! Barnes, Maximoff is missing, so she won't have any chance to fiddle with your head anymore. Rogers, you can't cure brainwashing with more brainwashing, and you've been an idiot to think otherwise. We cool now?" he asked them, obviously never intending to let them answer: "Good. Now shut up and get in the motherfucking chopper," he had said before leaving to go to speak with a couple of soldiers in black tactical gear near the exit of the hangar.

But Bucky wasn't done: "Stay away from me, Steve. Don't you dare even come close. Once we're done here, I don't wanna see your stupid face ever again."

Driving a knife into his chest and tearing his heart out would have been less painful. Steve hadn't had the strength to reply; he had had to use all the strength he had left just to keep himself from crying.

And that was how Steve had ended up in a helicopter with Nick Fury, and four other people who weren't even looking at him, or each other. Clint had been the only one trying to lighten the mood, saying the first thing he was gonna do once he was back in Stark's compound was take a piss on the front yard, but nobody had answered, and in the end, even the archer had fallen silent.

Normally, in a situation like this, Steve would have wanted to reach their destination as soon as possible, but he knew that while the atmosphere in the helicopter was awkward as hell, the place where they were headed was full of people who despised him. He really didn't know what was best.

And then the chopper landed.

A moment later the armored door on the left side was opened and Fury was glaring at them all: "We're here. Let me do the talking and keep your mouth shut. Especially you, Rogers."

***

As soon as they stepped out of the helicopter and headed for the main entrance of the Avengers Compound, Bucky felt the sudden urge to run away as fast as his legs could carry him.

This was Stark's house. And the Avengers were all there, clad in their battle uniforms as if ready for a fight, the only two missing being the android and the shrinking lady. Bucky knew they had been injured in the first alien attack. But the others looked ready to jump at his throat.

Judging by their faces they saw them as enemies just as much as these aliens he kept hearing about. In front of them all stood Stark's friend, the one the gray Iron Man suit. War Machine, Bucky thought was his codename.

And he looked the most pissed of them all.

"Colonel Fury, why are those lowlives behind you disrespecting Tony's property with their presence?"

Yup. Definitely the most pissed.

The angry archer, Barton or something, clenched his fists and looked ready for a less than educated reply, but Fury beat him to it: "Hasn't the Committee debriefed you? They're here to help..."

"Yeah. Help themselves," War Machine scoffed.

"Fuck you, Rhodes!" Barton finally exploded, "You pussies nearly got your asses handed to you, so don't act so high and mighty! You need our help, you should be fucking grateful that we're even here!"

Things were degenerating fast. Bucky thought that maybe Barton should keep his mouth shut: it had taken just four of these guys to capture them all without even trying too hard three years ago, so it wasn't like their group could offer much help. Judging by the expression on Natalia's face from where she was standing behind Rhodes to his left, she was thinking the exact same thing. But the Black Widow didn't voice her thoughts as another woman walked out of the Compound:

"And you circus freaks are so good at helping people, aren’t you, Barton?" the new woman scoffed.

Everybody shut up at once as she appeared. Even Barton didn't find it within himself to run his smart tongue again, probably taken aback by the woman's appearance. Bucky could see Steve's eyes bulging in something that very closely resembled fear, and he understood why: the woman was clad in a suit of armor similar to the one Lady Iron used...

Bucky instantly made the connection: her red hair, her facial features... Her eyes were a clear blue instead of brown, and her hair was lighter, more strawberry blonde than copper red, but otherwise she looked like an older Friday Stark. And that suit...

That woman was Lady Iron's mother.

Stark's woman.

_Oh, crap... She's gonna fucking destroy us all..._

Her expression was murderous as her eyes zeroed in on Steve's. As she slowly but purposefully walked up to him, Bucky could see him fidget, sweat beading on his forehead. He was scared of this woman.

She stopped right in front of him, and Steve could barely maintain eye-contact. He politely nodded once in greeting, but as he opened his mouth to speak, she slapped him hard enough to make him stumble.

Steve's head remained turned to the side as the woman - Stark's woman - looked at him with pure hatred. And then, her eyes turned to him.

Bucky was standing slightly behind everyone else, and in that moment he would have wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. When he saw the mother of Stark's daughter, clad in that terrifying armor that uncomfortably reminded him of the one used by the man who plagued his nightmares, walk up to him with determined steps and that same murderous expression she had reserved Steve, he had to fight the urge to run back and steal the helicopter in which they had just arrived to flee as far as he could.

She came to stand in front of him, and Bucky was fully expecting to end up with her armor's handprint burned on his cheek, just like Steve. But she didn't slap him.

"Do you know who I am?" she demanded, her voice calm but exuding rage.

Bucky flinched, not looking her in the eyes, instead looking down - and to the side; she was already pissed enough without him looking at her bosom.

He could see Steve start to fidget again in his peripheral, and he could tell he was close to jumping between them. Bucky wanted to deck him.

He flinched, still not looking her in the eyes: "N-no... But I presume you are Stark's... um... Dame?"

"Very perceptive," she commended sarcastically, "and can you think of a single reason why I shouldn't rip your face off for coming to Tony's house after what you did, you asymmetrical bastard?"

Bucky could feel the sweat trickle down his back, and Steve didn't make it any better when he decided not to hold his tongue any longer. Bucky could hardly believe how he managed to sound so self-righteous even when the lady was so clearly in the right: "Leave Bucky alone, Pepper. Gratuitous insults won't make this better-"

That did it. The lady's reaction was so instantaneous that Bucky nearly jumped out of his skin as she raised her arm towards Steve, charging up that laser cannon she had in her palm, without even looking Steve's way.

"It's 'Miss Potts', you worthless fucker," she snarled, slowly turning to Steve, "And you don't get to talk back to me, especially here in Tony's house and in front of Tony's team. You're a fucking criminal, Rogers." She turned to look at Wilson, Barton and Lang, who had all taken a few steps back, their eyes bulging and their mouths agape: "You all are. The world being in danger doesn't change that. So you have the right to remain silent. If waiver of this right, I will rip your balls off and make you eat them," she snarled.

Bucky had seen Steve this scared only once before, when fighting Stark himself, back in Siberia. He held up his hands, trying to appear harmless, but actually only looking patronizing: "...Pep- Miss Potts," he stammered, "there's no need for this... You're blowing things out of proportion..."

The lady narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, Jesus, could Steve _never_ shut the hell up?

Mercifully, at this point, War Machine intervened: "You know what? You're right," he said sarcastically, before turning to meet Stark's girlfriend's questioning gaze: "Yeah, he's right, Pep. Come on, let's not 'blow things out of proportion', alright?" he continued, scoffing and making air quotes before turning to Steve, his expression suddenly darker: "How about instead, Pepper and I beat you half to death and leave you stranded in an abandoned bunker in the middle of a frozen-ass Siberian wasteland?"

Steve paused, swallowing: "T-that's... That's uncalled for..." he tried.

The other man's face broke into a nasty grin: "Yeah. It _is_ uncalled for. You know why?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and taking two steps towards Steve: "Because unlike you back in Siberia, neither of us would need the other's help to deal with you."

Steve swallowed again. He clearly saw that War Machine meant what he said. Stark had this perk: he constantly upgraded his gear. Bucky had been on the receiving end of Iron Man's ever-growing power: they had managed to beat him in Siberia, albeit by the skin of their teeth. But the next time they had faced him, he was absolutely _toying_ with them. Bucky didn't doubt that he put the same care in upgrading his friends' armors as he did his own. He was scared to think just how lethal their latest armors were.

War Machine continued: "And no, Barton, we do not, in fact, need your help now. These two can punch people really hard?" he said, pointing at him and Steve, "Carol, Sif and Banner can punch a lot harder," he pointed to a middle aged man in the background, and to two women, one of which dressed in a colorful suit and the other wearing some kind of... medieval outfit (the fuck?) with a big-ass sword on her back. "Wilson can fly? Big deal, more than half of us can fly too. Guy that shrinks? We have Paxton for that. And when Hope gets better, we'll have her too. And you? Bow and arrows? I have cannons and missiles. So you see, anything you guys can do, there’s one or more of us who does it better. And then we also have Nat, Sharon and Wong, each one of whom can - and will - kick your ass if you keep _being one,"_ the leader of the Avengers concluded, "So try and get it in your thick skull, Barton: We don't need your help. You're not here as reinforcements. You're just cannon fodder."

Steve clearly wanted to reply, but the Avenger cut him off: "and if you don't like that, well, tough shit, because I'm the one in charge here. And at the first sign of obstracism, if you so much as look at one of us in a way I don't like, I'll send your sorry asses back to jail faster than you can blink. Is that clear?"

They were all too shocked to answer, but War Machine insisted: "Is. That. Clear!?"

"Yes, sir," Bucky heard himself reply. Wilson and Lang also muttered a low- voiced 'yes'. Rhodes glared at Barton, and he nodded, even though he looked like he had swallowed a lemon. Stark's friend turned his glare to Steve, then he turned his head slightly to the side and touched the back of his ear, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

Steve looked down: "Yes, Rhodey."

"It's 'Colonel Rhodes', Rogers. You're not among those who can call me Rhodey. Now let's get to work."

***

Loki had been pacing in his cell ever since the dismembered woman in the cell next to him had lost consciousness.

He couldn't stay there. He had to figure out a way to get out, and fast.

He was still trying to come up with a plan as Thanos appeared in front of his cell. Loki stopped in his pacing, looking the titan defiantly in the eye.

Thanos didn't even look at him. Instead, he turned and raised a hand: "Come, my love," he called, looking in the darkness behind him, "Allow me to present you with a gift," he said. His tone was reverent, like Loki would never have thought him capable of.

So this was it. Thanos had told him he would ‘make a fine gift’... This was the moment he gave Loki away like some cheap trinket. He was tempted to start yelling, but knew it would be of no use. Much better to bide his time, try to gather information and then come up with a plan. He settled for glaring at whoever the recipient of the 'gift' would be.

But then, as _she_ emerged from the darkness in front of his cell, Loki's defiance disappeared as if it had never been there, replaced by incredulity and an utter, bone-chilling fear.

"N-no... that's impossible..." he heard himself whisper in a barely audible voice.

"Hello, little brother," Hela smirked, poised and lethal like a deadly viper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hela.
> 
> Because apparently Thanos alone was not bad enough.


	10. A New Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hela and Loki talk. Meanwhile, Thor and the Guardians reach Knowhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the plot is about to get a lot thicker... I hope it doesn't get too convoluted XD.
> 
> By the way, warning: in this chapter, there's mentions of rape. Nothing graphic, or even detailed, really, but read at your own discretion.

Loki felt like he could faint at any moment.

_How!? How can it be!? How did she survive!?_

It was simply impossible! No one could have survived that explosion!

_Except Surtur, as it turns out,_ Loki's mind supplied, _so not that impossible, after all..._

And then, Supergiant's words to Thor back on the Statesman came back to him: _"The only thing that was destroyed on Asgard was Asgard itself."_

The veil had been ripped from Loki's eyes. _This_ was what Supergiant had truly meant: that _nobody_ had died in the explosion. And the dismembered woman, Nebula, in the cell next to his... Before she lost consciousness, she had said something about Thanos being unstoppable now that he had 'her' help. Loki knew now _whose_ help she was referring to.

_This is absurd..._

He was breathing heavily as he stared into his stepsister's ice-blue eyes. There was a glint of silver in them that sent a shiver down his spine. Not even Thanos had ever made him so scared.

The Mad Titan was standing at Hela's side, respectfully giving her space. It almost looked like he, too, was in some way afraid of her.

Loki unconsciously took a step backwards. Hela looked much like she had on Midgard, in the moment she had first emerged from her banishment. She was slightly paler than normal, her eyes a bit sunken in, giving her a somewhat sickly appearance that couldn't be more misleading, and her hair was slightly messy... But otherwise, she was completely unhurt.

The sum total of the damage that Surtur and the destruction of Asgard had dealt to her. Making her look like she had lost some sleep, and slightly ruffling her hair.

_If even Surtur at his mightiest has so utterly failed... If even destroying our very homeworld was completely for naught... how will we ever be able to stop such a being?_

"I can see the questions in your eyes, Odinson," she taunted, spitting the patronymic like a curse, before turning to Thanos: "They didn't know?" she asked the Titan.

"No, my love," Thanos replied, "To this very moment, Asgard's survivors still believe they have vanquished you."

Hela laughed. Loki felt like a boulder had settled in his stomach as she threw her head backwards and laughed good-heartedly as if Thanos had just told her the funniest joke.

"Oh, my... Such naivety," she sneered when she sobered up, "But perhaps it is partly my fault. I should have taken the time to explain better who I truly am... And I would have, had that oaf I have the disgrace to share my blood with not attacked me with my own hammer..."

Yes, Thor had told him of that little detail. Of those concealed murals in the Palace's main hall, depicting the Goddess of Death brandishing Mjolnir, and standing right next to Odin. As his equal.

"I see that you have some catching up to do," Thanos interjected, "I shall take my leave and let this family reunion continue in private... With your permission, my love," he added, even going as far as to bow to her slightly.

Hela's reply was elated, if somewhat dismissive: "Yes. Thank you, Son of A'lars. This is a most appreciated gift indeed. It will be fun to have at least one of my... _replacements,_ to witness the immensity of Odin's foolishness as his grand schemes crumble into dust."

"Of course, my love," Thanos answered in a pleased tone, "I will leave you two alone now. I do have places to be, for our quest to continue."

Hela just smiled at him. And with that, the titan left, leaving the two Asgardians behind.

Loki brought his eyes back on Hela, and despite his frazzled state, it didn't escape his notice that when his sister averted her eyes from Thanos' retreating form and before she looked back to him, her gaze dropped to the floor for a moment, and the corner of her mouth twitched in something that resembled...

...Doubt?

Loki couldn't tell for sure. Whatever it was, it was gone in an instant, as Hela schooled her expression back in the evil, lethal and slightly mocking sneer she had when she had first appeared.

He gulped in fear as soon as her eyes were back on him: "How?" he asked, so soft that his voice was barely audible, "I saw Asgard go up in flames, with you on top of it..."

"Indeed. And at first, I was absolutely livid about it," Hela confessed, making Loki fear for his life, even though her tone was casual, almost flippant, "You two insolent snots had the audacity to take my throne, my realm, from me. But all things considered... Asgard doesn't really matter much. My domain is far bigger that that measly golden rock. So I'm still a bit undecided as to what to do with you. If things go well, I might even let you live."

Loki frowned in anguish. He could only dread what Hela could decide to do to him.

It was clear that Hela had some... pretty ambitious plans, if Asgard 'didn't really matter much' in her eyes.

"Besides, as you can see, it was ultimately a fruitless effort, and a gross miscalculation on your part," she smiled, opening her arms slightly, "Did Odin not tell you? Did he not warn you of who I am?"

Loki took a long moment to answer: "Yes... He told us... He told us you are the Goddess of Death..."

"Precisely. I am Death," Hela interrupted him, taking a step forward and narrowing her eyes, her evil grin widening: "Did you and that stupid blondie truly entertain the thought that you could kill Death?"

Loki gulped. What did she mean by that?

Hela, noticing his confusion, looked at the ceiling wistfully: "Father must be pleased with how thoroughly he was able to mold his new heirs to his image. Such blissful ignorance, and such pathetic arrogance all in one package. You foolish little 'princes' fancy yourselves Gods, don't you? You have no idea..." she sighed.

Loki never took his eyes off her as she lowered her gaze back on him: "You are not Gods. You are born, and eventually, you will die. I, on the other hand..."

She didn't finish, just raising an eyebrow and smiling at him. Loki brought his eyes back to her immediately at the implication.

No, that was not possible. He couldn't believe her. He refused to.

But if she had survived Surtur and the destruction of Asgard...

"...you are immortal?" he asked, his voice barely even a whisper.

Hela didn't answer. She just let her smile grow a bit more, giving him a mocking sideways glance and winking at him.

Loki could feel his heart pounding in his ears.

_Immortal... She cannot be killed..._

He looked down, cold sweat running down his back. He desperately wanted to deny it, to not believe it, but...

"I... I thought it was but a legend..." he whispered, "...that in the unfathomable number of living beings in this universe... sometimes, one in thousands of trillions manages to acquire enough power to... to not die. To live forever... Thanos was the first who made me think it could be true..."

"And it is," Hela confirmed, "Thanos is an immortal as well. So was Surtur. But I, dear brother... I am more than that," she added ominously.

Loki had unconsciously stepped backwards until he hit the far wall of his cell. And when he did, his legs finally gave up and he slid down until he was sitting on the floor.

So it was true.

_Thanos is truly immortal... Unkillable... Just like her..._

But then, a flicker of confusion marred the trickster's face: _Surtur?_

"Surtur... was immortal?" Loki muttered. "But then... How could Thanos kill him?"

Hela shrugged, "Because Thanos attacked him with a very, _very_ specific weapon," she replied casually, as if she was discussing the weather.

Something akin to hope flickered in Loki's chest, until he realized what Hela meant.

"The Soul Stone..." he muttered.

The only Infinity Stone that was already in Thanos' possession before he attacked them.

So... the only way-

Hela huffed a laugh, interrupting his train of thought: "It's funny, I can almost see the gears turning in that pretty little head of yours," she smiled, interrupting his thoughts. Loki looked up at her again, immediately getting defensive as he saw her amused but slightly analytical gaze.

"You are correct. Among the Infinity Stones, the Soul Stone holds power over Life and Death," Hela said, "It is the only thing in the entire Universe that can indeed spell doom even for an immortal. And now, you are trying to think of a way to pilfer the Soul Stone from Thanos, and then use it to kill us both, aren't you?"

Loki averted his gaze. That was an easy guess - an obvious one, even - but he had to keep his guard up. He couldn't afford to let Hela read him so easily. In his situation, the tiniest of advantages could prove essential.

"There's only a little flaw in your plan," Hela continued: "Do you really think I would reveal to you the only way you can kill an immortal if it worked on me as well?" she asked then.

Loki's eyes, wide with fear, were immediately back on her.

Hela's smile widened, like a predator circling a cornered prey: "I told you, brother: I'm not simply immortal. I am _more._ All thanks to the Soul Stone itself."

Loki didn't understand. He tilted his head in question, and Hela decided to satisfy his curiosity.

She took a step back from the bars, pacing leisurely in front of Loki's cell as she began explaining: "Thanos and his children told me of your true origins, Laufeyson, but even Thor and I only share half of our blood. My mother was a powerful sorceress, the most powerful in all of Asgard. Possibly in all of the Nine Realms. And Odin... he _loved_ power. So he forced her to marry him, threatening her family if she didn't bow to his will. But it still wasn't enough."

Hela's words were full of resentment. Loki didn't dare interrupt her.

"With that marriage, Odin had Mother's power at his whim, but he wasn't satisfied with a trophy wife, regardless of how powerful she was. He wanted more. Somehow, he had learned of the existence an ancestral power unlike any other in the Universe, on a mysterious and faraway planet named Vormir. I'm sure you can guess what that immense power truly was..."

Loki's eyes widened: _The Soul Stone... That's the immense power Odin was after!?_

She stopped, scoffing slightly and shaking her head: "Like with my mother's power, he wanted the power of the Soul Stone for himself. He wanted to turn it into his most powerful weapon. He sent Mother there, hoping she would... harness that power. With it, he believed he could rule all the cosmos. Impressive, how he could be absolutely right and absolutely wrong at the same time... Even in his worst nightmare, he couldn't have imagined how badly his plan would turn against him."

Despite everything, and in the midst of all his anguish, Loki found himself drawn to this story. Power unlike any other...

He wanted Hela to continue: "What do you mean? Did your mother turn against the Allfather?"

Hela shook her head: "For all her power, Mother was still helpless against the King of Asgard. He had the Einherjar imprison her entire family and be ready to slaughter them all had she so much as looked at him in defiance. He had the Valkyries follow her wherever she went and watch her every move. She had no choice but to accomplish her mission."

Hela's words were heavily laced with contempt. Odin had all but used her mother, just like he would later use her.

And just like, later still, he would use Loki.

"Mother did what she was told: she went to Vormir, and found the the Soul Stone. The Stonekeepers deemed her worthy, and the Stone touched her. She had accomplished her mission. Odin had his new weapon, his infinite power... but not in the way he had originally intended. Because he had made a terrible mistake."

Loki's brow furrowed, and once again, Hela scoffed with contempt.

"You see, when he was younger, before he decided he wanted to be loved instead of feared and pretended to become an illuminated, benevolent, goody-two-shoes dictator, Odin... well, he had a little habit. A vice that had even inspired him when he originally created the Valkyries. One thousand female warriors sworn to serve him, in _any way_ he desired... Let me tell you, they were not _just_ his elite warriors," she said with disgust.

Loki understood the implication immediately, and immediately he found himself simpathizing with Hela's disgust.

He also found that this little revelation about Odin wasn't really fazing him.

As far as he knew, Odin had been faithful to Frigga - and if he hadn't, he had brought the secret with him in the Great Beyond, but Hela was speaking of a younger, different Odin, when his long life still hadn't granted him any wisdom. Nothing like the man he and Thor had known.

Thor might have been blinded by their father's greatness, but Loki, he had always had a more critical eye. The 'benevolent king' persona Odin presented himself as had never fully convinced him. Loki was probably the last person who could judge, but if Hela was speaking the truth, Odin's past was really starting to make him sick.

And it took _a lot_ to make Loki sick.

Also... had he imagined it or was there an unspoken addendum to Hela's words there?

He decided not to speak of it. He wasn't sure, and questioning - or worse, _taunting_ Hela about it would have been suicidal. Besides, right now Hela was gloating, and because she was gloating, her brain-to-mouth filter was loose. So there was a chance Loki could gain useful informations. He wasn't about to throw that opportunity away just to pry into something that would only make his stomach turn in disgust even more... that is, in the off-chance Hela even left his stomach inside his body after he dared insinuate something like _that._

But Hela merely shrugged: "Regardless, because he couldn't control his appetites, Odin made the mistake of forcing himself on Mother before he sent her to Vormir. She was carrying his child when she found the Soul Stone. And that's who the Stone's power latched onto."

Loki's eyes bulged even more. Hela took a step back, spreading her arms slightly:

"Me."

Loki gupled: "Your power... comes from the Soul Stone?"

"As does my immortality." Hela confirmed, her evil smirk never leaving her face, "Mother saw it: the Stone gave her a vision. A vision of her daughter's destiny. Of me, the Goddess of Death, bringing balance to Life and Death in the Universe. But when she told Odin this, that old fool immediately convinced himself that 'bringing balance to the Universe' meant 'be his weapon in the conquest of the Universe'..."

"I don't believe you," Loki growled, having finally recovered a sliver of his defiance, even though he knew that, deep down, he _did_ believe her.

Hela shrugged again: "Odin did," she replied, not at all fazed by Loki's reply, "He believed it immediately, from the moment I was born... when my mother became my first victim."

The way she had said it would have fooled almost everyone. But Loki could see the pain in that final sentence, despite his anguish and surprise.

"She died giving birth to me. In that very moment, Odin sensed the immense power the Soul Stone had granted me. Power over Death," his sister elaborated, raising an eyebrow: "Why do you think he named me Hela?"

Loki looked down. No, it couldn't be true...

"He said... Father said you drew your power from Asgard..." he argued meekly, clinging desperately to denial.

Hela laughed: "I'm very sorry to disappoint him, but as I said: Odin was a fool. Much as he wanted the power of the Soul Stone, he didn't understand it, and he refused to believe I was more powerful than him. He refused to believe I was truly immortal. So he convinced himself that, being Asgardian, my power came from Asgard, just like his and Mother's, and that the Soul Stone had merely... enhanced my abilities. But as you can see, even though Asgard is no more, I still breath and speak, and my power hasn't waned in the slightest."

Loki looked down again, unable to stand her taunting gaze any longer.

During their final showdown on Asgard, Hela had been unstoppable, displaying power unlike Loki had ever seen, but in their first, fleeting encounter on Midgard, she had been no less powerful. She had crushed Mjolnir with no effort at all.

And that wasn't the only thing from which Loki could tell she was speaking the truth.

Hela's words held an unwavering confidence. She was truly convinced of every word she had spoken. Of the true origin of her powers. Of the vision the Stone had given her mother. And as much as Loki wanted to... he found he couldn't doubt that conviction.

He was a great liar, he always had been. And because of that, he was exceptionally proficient at recognizing lies as well as telling them. This wasn't one.

Hela was speaking the hard and fast truth.

"So this is how it began... How Asgard subjugated the Nines..." he whispered.

"Yes," Hela reminisced, "Odin put me through extremely strict training as soon as I was able to stand on my own two feet. He crafted me, molded me into the destroyer of worlds he had craved so much for. And when I was ready... all he had to do was point me in the direction of his first target."

Loki closed his eyes and lowered his head in thought.

Hela's tone was airy and unburdened, but Loki could hear the hatred in her voice.

Odin had used her. He had never seen a daughter when he looked at her, only a mean for his potential gain and advantage.

_Just like he did when he found me in Jotunheim,_ he thought.

And then his eyes snapped open.

Of course! That was something he and Hela had in common!

She was there to gloat, but she was also opening herself to him in a way... Maybe, if he did the same and showed sympathy, he could ingratiate himself to her. It would be a great starting point to escape his prison...

It was definitely worth a shot.

"But it didn't last," he said, schooling his face to show as much sadness and empathy as he could, "Father told us that you were consumed by your ambitions. That he was forced to stop you. But if you speak the truth, I'd say you were simply tired of being his attack dog..."

Hela didn't answer, simply staring at him.

_Lay it on thicker!_

"I would have turned on him too, in your place," he added sympathetically.

He forced himself to make eye-contact, despite how scared he was of her, hoping that the approval and validation he had offered would make her open up more, that he could establish some sort of connection with her through their shared experience with Odin.

But Hela's reaction was the opposite of what Loki had hoped for: her smile never left her face, first turning into a soft cackling and then exploding into a slightly maniacal laughter.

"Oh, brother. Between you and Thor, I was led to think you were the smart one," she said, "Why would I ever need to turn on Odin? I am immortal. He was not. All I had to do was wait."

And Loki suddenly understood.

Hela had never betrayed Odin.

_He_ was the one who betrayed _her._

"No," Loki whispered, "No! He told us your violent ways consumed you, that he was forced to stop you!" he protested.

"A partial truth," Hela conceded with another shrug. Her unflappable demeanor was really starting to get under Loki's skin, "Or rather, what Odin believed to be the truth. During out quests for the Nine Realms, I crossed paths with another conqueror. Immortal, just like me. And with my exact same goal: balancing the Universe."

It didn't take much to make the connection: "Thanos..." Loki muttered in fear.

"Thanos," Hela nodded. "He likes to think he opened my mind, made me see how Odin was deceiving me. Using me for his own gain," she said, her mouth and eyebrows curled in a mildly disappointed frown that showed her opinion on that notion: "Not so. I knew full well what Odin was doing. My ambitions already outclassed his. Unfortunately, Thanos' speeches opened Odin's eyes too."

Loki lowered his gaze once more. So it was true: after encountering Thanos, Odin had seen he would have more and more troubles controlling Hela and turned on her.

He felt like he was back in the Vault, that day he discovered his true ancestry. Was there no end to Odin's callousness?

That was when he came to a sudden realization.

Trying to establish a bond with Hela... it wasn't just for his personal advantage. He and his stepsister were far more alike than he had imagined.

Building this bridge wasn't just to save himself. It was... It was the right thing to do.

"So why are you doing this?" he asked in the end, after a long moment of silence, "Why are you helping Thanos? His words were the catalyst for the Allfather's actions against you. Why help the man who is responsible for your banishment?" he asked, his voice truly sincere for the first time in eons.

Hela didn't answer immediately.

There it was again. That minuscule crack in her expression. In her resolve. A sliver of what Loki was now sure was doubt. Insecurity.

But it was gone in an instant.

"I'm not helping him, brother. He is helping me," the Goddess of Death answered in the end, "He is helping me with the one thing Odin tried to keep me from accomplishing: Balance of Life and Death in the entire Universe."

And once again, absolute conviction could be heard in her voice, as she came closer and uttered two last words: "My destiny."

After that, she turned on her heels and walked away. As her footsteps faded in the distance, Loki felt at a complete loss.

_Balance of Life and Death in the entire Universe._

Loki could see it: she just _knew_ with every fiber of her being that one way or another, that was her destiny.

How could he ever stop _destiny?_

He couldn't. Whatever he would do, Hela would one day accomplish her fate.

But then... what was that doubt in her eyes?

***

Thor was nervous as he observed Knowhere grow bigger and bigger from one of the Benatar's portholes, as he and the Guardians closed the distance with the humongous severed head.

He hoped Thanos hadn't already paid a visit to the Collector. They needed to get the Reality Stone before he did.

"We are arriving," the bug-girl supplied.

As they approached Knowhere, Thor could sense that something was wrong. The place was usually bustling with life: miners working, muggers stealing, drunkards stumbling in and out of taverns, and all sorts of questionable individuals crowding the streets. Now though, there wasn't a single person around.

"Where'd everyone go?" the skinny guy with the red fin on his head asked.

"Good question," the talking rabbit replied.

They proceeded slowly inside the gigantic head. Everywhere they looked, there was nothing but silence and desolation. It looked as if all the people had magically disappeared all at once.

Thor had a bad feeling about this.

"I'm reading movement from the third quadrant," the burly man with the tattoos said, looking at his console.

"Yeah, I picked that up too," the obnoxious fat man who thought he was so great replied, "Let’s put it down right here."

Thor turned to the Captain, but the rabbit nodded, agreeing with the fastidious fatso, so he let it go.

"I am Groot," the tree said.

Thor turned to him: "Yes, it's probably for the best if you use the restroom now," he told the tree.

The Captain perked up: "You speak Groot?"

"Yes. They taught it on Asgard, it was an elective," Thor explained, "does anyone else need to use the restroom?" he asked the rest of the crew.

The man with the fin and the bug-girl raised their hands.

Thor nodded to them, and the duo left to follow Groot. All the others rose from their seats to go fetch their weapons.

The daughter of Thanos hadn't said a single word for the entire trip.

***

Kraglin walked through the halls of the Collector's place with his heart in his throat. Despite having taken a dump three minutes ago, he felt like he was about to shit himself again.

What the heck, he was just a simple Ravager! He had never signed up for a fight with a tyrannical overlord who wanted to conquer the whole Universe!

He clutched the holster where Yondu's Yaka Arrow was sheated, hoping his old Captain would watch over him... wherever he was.

"Wait!" Quill's whisper sounded thunderous in Kraglin's ears as he dropped down on one knee and raised his fist to signal the others to stop. Kraglin was the only one who did. The Asgardian, Drax, Rocket, Groot and even Mantis continued to walk forward, passing Quill without a second glance.

"The hand means stop!" Quill protested.

Nobody even bothered answering.

Kraglin rose from where he had dropped to a crouch too, to see what had caused Quill to stop. He immediately spotted the others gathering around something. As he walked up to them, he finally saw Taneleer Tivan's body, sprawled on the floor like a ragdoll.

His neck had been snapped, and his tongue was out of his mouth in an expression that would almost look comical... well, if the guy wasn't dead, of course.

The big blondie got down on one knee, a hand hovering over the Collector's corpse: "Damn it all, Thanos has preceded us!" he growled.

"Indeed, Odinson. Reality is often disappointing."

The thunderous, disembodied voice booming in the empty hall scared Kraglin almost as much as what happened immediately afterwards: the entire room morphed and changed, revealing that the entire place had been destroyed and was currently on fire.

_This must be the power of the famous Reality Stone..._

Then, the perpetrator revealed himself.

Thanos, the Mad Titan, stood maybe nine feet tall, and his build would have made Taserface cry in envy.

_Oh, shiiit... He's even bigger that what Gamora made him out to be_ , Kraglin thought, completely frozen at the titan's sudden appearance out of thin air.

The titan didn't notice him. Instead, he looked at Thor: "That is... it was. Now, reality can be whatever I want." he continued as he raised his left fist. Three gems were perched on his knuckles, the red one glowing for a moment.

The Asgardian pirate growled. But he was not the one who attacked first.

"You monster... You will pay for the death of my wife and daughter!" Drax bellowed before launching himself at the titan with a battle cry.

Thanos wasn't fazed in the slightest.

He just raised his gauntlet. The red gem glowed again, and in a second, Drax's body was reduced to a pile of cubes dropping to the ground. Mantis met a similar fate before she could even react, being turned into fancy ribbon-like streamers.

Finally, the others attacked... or they tried to.

Groot managed to reach out extending his branches and weaving them around Thanos' forearm, as if catching him with a lazo, but once again the Reality Stone glowed red and Groot was turned into a big, potted daisy with his face in the middle, surrounded by white petals.

"I am Groot!" he protested in a high-pitched voice.

_Shit shit shit shit shit!_ was all Kraglin could think. He whistled, and the Yaka Arrow sprung to life, grazing the giant's gauntlet between the blue and red Stones. It didn't do any damage, but the Titan was distracted for a split second, allowing Rocket and Quill to attack.

Rocket took off with his Aero-Rig and started raining fire on the titan with his gun, but it lasted only a second. The Reality Stone was quick to turn Rocket's cannon into bubbles, before Thanos grabbed the talking raccoon and threw him in Quill's direction. He landed in Quill's midriff and both were propelled against the far wall. A moment later, the big purple guy finally turned his attention onto Kraglin.

A concussion blast sent him against the opposite wall, before several pieces of scrap metal emerged from the wall like tentacles and pinned him in place. One of these metal bars tightened across his mouth, gagging him and effectively taking him out of the fight too, as the Yaka Arrow clattered uselessly to the floor.

Kraglin could only watch as Thor and Gamora, the only two left, launched themselves at Thanos. They managed to trade a few blows for the first ten seconds, but they never stood a chance.

The Asgardian was the first to fall, after being hit square in the jaw by a punch that would have taken a lesser man's head off. Then Gamora drew Godslayer and tried to slash at her hated father, but he simply grabbed the blade with his gauntlet, blocking the attack, before he grabbed Gamora herself by the neck with his free hand, lifting her up.

"Ah, my favourite daughter," the titan derided her, "how far you've fallen."

"Let her go, Grimace!"

Quill's yell got the titan's attention. He smirked, turning back to Gamora: "Your new boyfriend?" he asked.

"I like to think of myself more as a titan-killing long-term booty call," Quill growled, pointing his quad-blasters at Thanos' imposing figure, "Let her go, of I'll blow that nutsack of a chin right off your face!"

Thanos just scoffed. Once again, the red gem in his hand glowed, and Quill's quad-blasters turned to bubbles just like Rocket's hand cannon had earlier. Quill was left dumbfounded as the Thanos turned his attention back to Gamora.

"Love," he said wistfully, "always your biggest weakness..."

Gamora struggled for a while, snarling menacingly, before Thanos tossed her away from him. She landed harshly on the floor, with a pained yelp.

"One day, it will be your downfall," the titan continued.

"You know nothing about love," Gamora snarled as Quill went to help her.

Once again, Thanos huffed a laugh: "I know how to exploit it. That's why I've captured your sister."

Kraglin's eyes bulged just like Gamora's did: _This bastard has Nebula!?_

"You will interfere with my quest no more, Daughter," Thanos commanded, "or your sister shall suffer for it."

"You sick monster..." Gamora growled just as Kraglin renewed his struggles, "Where is she!?"

Thanos laughed out loud: "Oh, how quaint. You wanna save her? Hmm, why not..."

Gamora looked at him in questioning. Thanos seemed to be considering something before he spoke: "I will have her transferred on Maarin right away. Feel free to go ahead and try to rescue her, if you want."

The complete non-sequitur, the casualness of the statement, as well as the absurdity of it, left both Kraglin and Gamora speechless.

Gamora was dumbfounded: "What... what are you saying!? Why would you let me rescue her!?"

Thanos smirked: "I said I will let you try to rescue her. But you will not succeed. It’s going to be entertaining: what will you do, Daughter? will you let your love for your sister get the best of you and go rescue her, or will your compassion and care for innocent lives make you persist in pointlessly trying to stop me?"

Kraglin struggled a bit more, but Thanos didn’t even notice him.

He leaned down towards Gamora and uttered one final warning: “Either way, it’s like I said: love will be your downfall."

Quill got up and tried to rush Thanos, but he simply kicked him out of the way, sending him sprawled on the floor right in front of Gamora.

"I like you," the titan scoffed at Quill, before he disappeared into a blue, cloudy portal created by the Space Stone.

As soon as he was gone, the reality on Knowhere started to go back to normal. Drax and Mantis' bodies started to reconstruct themselves, and Groot morphed back to his normal form. Even Rocket's and Quill's weapons reappeared out of thin air.

The metallic ropes holding Kraglin against the wall disappeared, and he dropped to his knees.

_Nebula..._

The Asgardian started to come to as well: "Dammit... He took the Stone..." he asked groggily.

Gamora and Kraglin exchanged a significant look: "He also took my sister..." Gamora whispered.

***

"You insects! Show yourselves!"

Ebony Maw's angered scream echoed through the spaceship. From her little hiding spot under some sort of supporting pillar, Wanda felt chills run down her back at his voice.

The alien was furious. And he was close to find them.

She turned to look at Doctor Strange. The man was sprawled on the floor, thying to breathe through the pain of his earlier predicament. Maw had really done a number on him with those fancy spikes.

"Doctor, we have to move," she whispered, trying to help him into a sitting position, "Maw will find us here!"

Strange groaned slightly, but he gingerly managed to get up.

As they walked through the corridors, Wanda supporting Strange as they tried to evade Maw, the Doctor finally spoke: "Did you see anything?"

Wanda turned to him: "What?"

"When you caught Maw by surprise and we escaped," he explained, breathing heavily, "did you see anything in his mind?"

Wanda thought for a moment. She hadn't even taken notice of it then and there, too busy trying to break free from Maw's grasp.

But she had.

"Yes," she recalled. "I saw something. A powerful gem... It was purple," she said.

"The Power Stone," Strange immediately guessed, "maybe they haven't taken it yet. It could be Maw's next mission..."

This was important. Maybe if they could get it first, they could throw a wrench in Thanos'plans.

"Do you know where it is?" Strange asked.

Wanda scrunched her eyebrows in concentration, trying to remember: "I saw an alien planet, with a big city... It looked... futuristic, technologically advanced... There were several different alien races around the streets-"

"I will find you, puny humans! You have nowhere to run!"

Maw's screams interrupted her train of thought. He had gotten closer.

Strange put a finger over his mouth to signal her to shut up. He indicated a small service door to their left.

They were in no condition to attack the alien. Both had been tortured, and they needed a few more minutes to recover.

For now, they had to stay hidden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you confused by Hela's speech? I am XD. One thing's for sure, though: Odin was a dick.
> 
> Just for the record though: there's a bit more to Hela's story, but everything she said is true. She didn't lie to Loki to scare him, she really IS immortal. Even more immortal than Thanos, because her powers come from the Soul Stone itself, so she can't even be killed using it.
> 
> Furthermore, even destroying the Stone wouldn't make her any easier to deal with: Wanda's power come from the Mind Stone, and when she destroyed it, her powers didn't disappear. So Hela's power wouldn't disappear upon the destruction of the Soul Stone either.
> 
> Maarin, the planet where Thanos said he's transferring Nebula, appeared in a few old Marvel comics. Just a little easter egg. That aside... don't you think Kraglin overreacted a little at the news of Thanos capturing Nebula (hint hint) ?


	11. Plans and preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rogue Avengers are brought up to speed on the enemy. Tony, Friday and Peter are about to do battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter should have been up on tuesday, and then RL decided to be a bitch. Sorry about that. Anyway, who wants a bit of Team Crap bashing?

Rhodey sighed heavily as he found himself sitting at the head of the conference table in the Avengers Compound for the second time in the same day. They had had this same meeting six hours ago, and now they had to rehash everything because the Committee had decided that the cap-tards should join the fight, and thus needed to be briefed.

He looked around the room. Banner and Pepper were not present, still in the infirmary tending to Vision and Hope with the help of Doctor Cho, but everyone else was there. And his entire team, including Sif and Wong, were looking at the rogues with either hatred or contempt. Rhodey was pretty sure Banner would be no exception: they hadn't told him about Siberia yet - that was for Tony alone to tell, if he even wanted to - but the doctor had already clearly shown he had no love lost for Rogers and his cocksuckers.

Rhodey then eyed the criminals, all sitting to his left. They all looked like the shits they were.

In prison, Rogers and Wilson had both grown a beard out of depression. Rogers had his eyes on Barnes and looked like a kicked puppy, clearly still thinking the whole world revolved around him and his brainwashed buddy, whereas Wilson had a downcast look, refusing to meet anyone's eyes - especially Rhodey's. So maybe Wilson _had_ learned something by the whole Civil War shtick. Rhodey could work with a depressed Wilson: as long as he followed orders, he didn't particularly care. He was no psychologist, and in the current situation, all he cared about was Wilson's ability to get shit done.

As for Rogers... well, as usual he only cared about Barnes, and if what Rhodey had heard from Fury and the Committee was true, Barnes was there because he genuinely wanted to do the right thing. So hopefully Rogers would follow through without causing too many problems.

What's-his-face with the Pym suit (Lamp? Dang? Dumb?) also looked depressed but eager to prove himself. Rhodey almost pitied the poor bastard: he was clearly a follower who had been found by the wrong leaders. First Pym, then Rogers. Still, Rhodey didn't have time to hold his hand right now. They were here to save the world and, again, Rhodey was no psychologist, but he could work with a depressed guy, as long as he followed orders.

Barton was clearly the one most prone to cause problems. In prison he had shaved the sides of his head in a ridiculous mohawk-ish style that made him look like something between a retired pornstar and an aging biker with a mid-life crisis. The 'prison haircut', coupled with his smug attitude and all the glares he was sending to the actual Avengers, especially Natasha, gave Rhodey all the clues he needed to tell exactly how difficult Barton was going to be.

Whatever. If Barton or any other of these idiots was still feeling pissy, their problem. They could follow orders or go back to jail, it was all the same to him.

He focused on the matter at hand. He wasn't really keen on repeating the same things from a few hours ago, but at least, Carol's alien friends had apparently been able to find some new information regarding Thanos' generals, so it wouldn't be a complete waste of time.

When they were all seated, Carol spoke:

"So, these are the information my contacts were able to dig up," she started, "Thanos has five generals who command his armies. Apparently they are his adoptive children, he took them in at a very young age upon conquering their home planets, and trained them to be his servants. They call themselves the Black Order."

She flicked her hand, and 3D holograms sprung to life from the middle of the table, showing all five of Thanos' elites.

"Cull Obsidian," Carol introduced, enhancing one of the five holograms, the one depicting the massive crocodile guy that Sif had... er, disarmed: "He is the oldest and the strongest of Thanos' henchmen. Chances are his strenght rivals the Hulk's. However, we know he is not unbeatable. Lady Sif was able to cut his left arm off during the fight, and he was wounded by War Machine's heavy weaponry as well. We aren't sure how fast he recovers from battle damage, but he isn't reported to have any regenerative abilities, so hopefully his chopped arm won't grow back. Also, besides super strenght and stamina, he doesn't have any different powers like psychokinesis or energy manipulation. The same can be said for these other two," she added, lowering Obsidian's image and bringing up the muscular woman's one and the one depicting the skinny Gollum guy with the staff.

"Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive," Carol called them, "not as much raw strenght as Obsidian, but they're extremely proficient at hand to hand combat, both armed and unarmed, and they still possess superhuman strenght, speed and durability."

"We can tell," Barton interjected, interrupting her, "they did kick all your asses, after all..." he said with a smirk.

Rhodey glared at him, summoning all his willpower to not reach to the other side of the table and rip Barton's eyes off with his bare hands. Half the room looked at the archer as if ready to skin him, and if Pepper hadn't gone off to the infirmary to stay with Hope and Vision, Rhodey didn't doubt that she _would_ have skinned him, or worse.

Either that, or Barton wouldn't have had the balls to open his mouth at all.

But Rhodey didn't need to intervene, because Paxton preceded him: "Yeah," he said in a light tone, "kinda like how Tony and I kicked _your_ ass back when we arrested you, three years ago. Remember that?"

Barton's smug grin fell right out of his face, as Paxton gave him his best condescending look. Sharon guffawed a little, earning a glare from Barton too.

Rhodey was amured, but decided not to delve in these amenities: "Go on, Carol," he said to his fellow airman.

"Cull Obsidian, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight are exceptionally skilled warriors, but that's where their abilities end," Carol continued, ignoring Barton's little show completely: "The two who attacked New York however, they are different cookies," she said, pulling up the holograms of the last two aliens.

This was the first time the people at the Compound saw the New York attackers: a tall, wiry alien with an ugly, wrinkled and nose-less face, and a woman with blue skin and a demented glint in her eyes.

"Ebony Maw and Supergiant," Carol said, "skilled telepaths with powerful psychic powers. Telekinesis, mostly, but the woman is also proficient at mind manipulation, as we've seen from her blocking the Hulk..."

Bruce nodded in defeat. Apparently, even now, he still wasn't able to summon his green counterpart.

"So we have two psychics who only Wong can counter," Natasha surmised, "and three more who can rival the Hulk and even Vision... And we are two heavy hitters down, with Tony and Friday missing..."

Barton seemed on a roll today: "Heavy hitters," he scoffed, as if it wasn't true: "Does it taste good, Nat?" he asked with a sneer.

She decided to humor him: "Does what taste good?"

"Stark's cock. The one you're sucking so furiously."

Now Rhodey half expected Natasha to throw her legendary poise and control to the wind, cross the table and punch him in the face, but someone else spoke:

"You know, in Asgard, Thor spoke of you, Clinton Barton," Lady Sif sneered with absolute contempt, "He told the tale of an archer with a big mouth, but who could never put his words into actions. A sharp eye, good for thinning the enemy's ranks a little, but woefully lacking and redundant compared to the real Champions of Midgard. And the Avengers speak of you as well: right before you arrived, they regaled me with the story of how you were the first defeated when you fought them, and the first recaptured after being freed from your just imprisonment by the rebellious Soldier. It seems you are always the first to go down... so when Thanos comes and history repeats itself, we'll see if you'll still have enough breath in you to keep spewing insolences."

Rhodey looked on, slightly amused. _Burn._

He liked Sif. She clearly didn't take anyone's shit.

Barton was stunned into silence, puce with anger as he glared at the Asgardian in rage.

Rogers, of course, was quick to protest the slight against one of his: "Hey! Leave him alone, Clint is-"

"But if you think you can sit at this table and mock those who repelled Thanos' armies while you were sitting pretty in a dungeon where you belong, Thanos will be the least of your problems," Sif continued ominously, completely ignoring the yapping super soldier and narrowing her eyes dangerously at Barton: "Because I will personally make sure you can never give air to your useless mouth again."

Barton tried not to flinch at the threat, but failed miserably. He knew exactly what his chances were against an Asgardian warrior. He growled a little and put on a sulky face, but otherwise stayed silent.

Rhodey was about to bring the meeting back on topic, but Rogers was dissatisfied at not having had the last word, so he opened his big mouth again. And he had the gall to do so to _reprimand him._

"Rhodes, are you really going to let-"

"Save it, Rogers," Rhodey talked over him in his commanding, senior officer voice, "I'm not about to be told how to run this team by the asshole who led it into the ground."

Rogers spluttered in disdain, but before he could whine any further, Wilson of all people spoke:

"Do we know where these guys are?" he asked, referring to the aliens still displayed on the holograms.

"No. But they want Vision's stone," Rhodey replied, "so sooner or later they'll be back, and we'll have to be ready."

Again, Rogers had something to say: "Wait, so we're just waiting for them to come back? That's-"

"Jocasta can't track them, their ships have disappeared from every satellite in the world, military or otherwise, so there's no way for us to know where they are," Rhodey interrupted him, his patience all but spent, "They could have left the planet to regroup, for all we know. So yes, we have to wait for them. Do you have a better idea?"

Rogers opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but remained silent.

"Exactly. You don't. We're doing everything we can," Rhodey pressed on. He was this close from punching the guy in his perfect teeth: "We're organizing our defences, we're coordinating with the US military, the NATO, everyone! Why do you think _your_ ass is here, Rogers!?"

"Yeah. We're scraping the bottom of the barrel," Sharon interjected, "we even got you guys out of jail to fight..."

Rogers addressed Sharon with his trademark 'Captain America is disappointed in you' face: "That's not-"

"Oh, for Pete's sake, haven't you made enough of a fool of yourself, old man?" Carol cut him off, "Can't you tell it's high time you just shut your face?"

The 'Captain America is disappointed in you' face got even darker as Rogers turned to face Carol. _Funny,_ Rhodey thought, _I thought that face was reserved only for Tony..._

"Miss, I don't know you, but fair warning: I don't have any problem hitting a woman," Rogers growled.

At that, the Avengers all smirked. They had seen how powerful Carol was in the first battle against the Black Order, and they knew the mere idea of Rogers beating her up was ludicrous.

Completely unfazed, Carol simply smiled at Rogers' empty threat and gave a one-armed shrug: "That's fine. Neither do I."

Now Rogers bristled. He stood from his seat and loomed threateningly over Carol: "Okay, you know what? I may not be an Army Captain anymore, but I am a war veteran!" he stated, all uptight in his usual sanctimonious, stick-up-his-butt attitude, "Who are you to disrespect me like that!?"

"Oh, this looks promising," Paxton commented, smiling openly.

"You better stay out of this, son," Rogers replied, glaring at him, before turning back to Carol: "I am not going to be gratuitously insulted by the latest newbie! You don't even know me!"

_Oh, this is gonna be good,_ Rhodey thought, not without a hint of satisfaction, as he watched Carol's face turn calculating and then slightly mischievous.

Rhodey wasn't above petty revenge against the guy who had almost killed his best friend. Sue him.

Carol rose herself and started to round the table: "You're right. I don't know you. Let me introduce myself," she said, walking up to Steve and offering her hand with a smile.

Rogers eyed the proffered hand with suspicion, before taking it warily. He immediately regretted it: the moment his hand was in hers, her smile turned taunting as she started crushing his hand with such strength that Steve immediately winced in pain.

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Carol Danvers, United States Air Force. And unlike you, I have actually _earned_ my military grade, mister 'War Veteran'. You think you're the only one who's ever fought in a war? Think again, bitch. I might be 'the latest newbie' in the Avengers, but I fought wars all over the universe. And as for not knowing you, I've read all your files. I know Sharon is right when she says you're just a massive fraud," she said, turning to where Sharon was enjoying the show from the other side of the table, trying and failing to suppress a smile at Rogers' current predicament.

The moment Rogers dropped to his knees, his face contorted in pain as he tried to pry Carol's hand open with his free one, Rhodey just knew his face pretty much mirrored Sharon's.

"I also know that while people call you a super soldier, you're no soldier at all, or you wouldn't have left a teammate stranded and wounded to die in a frozen tundra. You wouldn't have fought a teammate in the first place! But no, all that matters is that guy, isn't it?" she asked, pointing to Barnes.

Rhodey briefly turned to Barnes too: the poor bastard seemed to shrink in his seat. He looked like he'd rather be in a boxing ring fighting all five of Thanos' generals together than be there in that moment.

"The Star Spangled Man with a Plan," Carol pressed on over Rogers' growing whimpers of pain, "That's what they called you, right? Too bad your plan is just 'wrap myself around my brainwashed buddy and beat up anybody who dares come close, friend or foe alike'. You're an insult to your country, you're an insult to the Armed Forces, you're an insult to the insult itself!"

Carol snarled, finally letting go of Rogers' hand. Rogers pulled his arm away with a pained yelp, before holding his offended hand close to his chest and cradling it with the other one.

Carol glared at the rest of the rogues: "Anyone else has something to say?" she challenged.

None of them spoke.

"Thought so," Carol muttered, glaring at all of them in turn before calmly strolling back to her seat. Rhodey waited until she claimed her seat again to resume the briefing: "So, I've asked Doctors Banner and Cho to compile a report on Vision's wounds and relay it to the Wakandan delegate of the Sokovia Accords Committee, Princess Shuri."

"T'Challa's sister," Wilson recalled.

"Yes. Apparently she's the world leading expert on vibranium, so she should be able to patch Vision up. We might need to relocate him to Wakanda, if his wounds turn out to be impossible for us to cure here. But until we hear back from the Princess, we need to be ready to face another attack. Barnes," he called, facing the super soldier.

Hearing his name, the former sargeant stood straighter: "Sir," he acknowledged.

What Rhodey said next left a sour taste in his mouth, but he couldn't afford to be picky right now: "The Damage Control sent us back your arm. We need to reattach it."

"I can do that," a new voice chimed in.

They all turned to see Hope standing in the doorway. She was pale and hunched in on herself, but she looked determined.

Rhodey's breath caught. Hope was looking at him with pain and determination in her eyes. He wanted to both run to her and hold her and at the same time yell at her for getting out of the infirmary, after... those wounds... _the hysterectomy..._

He rose from his seat. Pym's disciple almost did the same, but a glare from the woman made him decide against it.

Rhodey settled for a soft reminder: "Hope, what are you doing here? You should be in bed," he said in a calm, worried tone.

"I can't," Hope replied, "The world's at stake. I can't sit this one out entirely."

Rhodey huffed in frustration: "What did Helen say?" he wanted to know.

"That I should be resting," Hope admitted, "but if it's just working to fix Barnes' arm, I can take it. I won't get tired or be under stress..."

Rhodey was slightly surprised that she was so willing to work on Barnes. Three years ago she had fought the guy directly, trying to capture him.

She seemed to read his thoughts as she shook her head: "I may be out of the fight, but I can still help everyone else to fight at the best of their potential." She motioned to the one-armed super soldier: "Barnes needs both his arms, and at least this way I won't feel completely useless."

Rhodey was worried. Hope had been hurt really badly, a few hours ago she was _dying._ She shouldn't be up and working, she should be resting and recovering.

But he knew he couldn't keep her out of this. She wouldn't accept it, and she would ignore him if he ordered her to stay put. At least she wasn't going to suit up and fight with an open wound.

Still, there was no way in hell he was gonna leave Hope alone with Barnes.

"All right," he relented, "but I'm gonna be there for the whole thing. In the armor," he added, giving Barnes a pointed glare. The soldier flinched, but nodded his consent.

Rogers looked ready for another whining round, but he glanced in Carol's direction and Carol raised a challenging eyebrow at him. Rogers immediately settled for a neutral question:

"Are you sure you can fix Bucky's arm?" he asked Hope.

She looked at him with a hostile expression, but her answer was professional: "Not entirely. But Tony, Friday and Peter all missing and Bruce is busy trying to patch Vision up. I can't think of anybody else who could do it..."

"Colonel Rhodes, Miss Van Dyne, if I may..." Jocasta chimed in from her speakers, "Maybe Harley Keener could be of help," she suggested.

Rhodey pondered that for a moment. He knew the real reason why Jocasta was suggesting Harley.

She was an AI, but she had feelings. She was possibly even more emotional than Friday. Not having a physical body hadn't stopped her from developing emotions... and after she first met Harley, even romantic feelings.

Right now, she wanted Harley close. This was an end of the world situation, and Jo was young and scared. She wanted him with her, simple as that. Besides, despite the damage the East Wing had taken, the Compound was still one of the safest places in the world. Jocasta had access to all the suits and could relocate them from Stark Tower to the Compound to defend it, so she could probably help keep Harley safe too. She wouldn't have suggested Harley to work on Barnes' arm otherwise.

Still, it was not a bad suggestion. It wasn't ideal, but they were on the clock, and Rhodey would be there and ready to subdue Barnes in case he had an episode, so it should be safe enough.

"Fine, Jo. Call Harley. We can send a Quinjet to give him a ride; if he can help we need him here as fast as possible," Rhodey decided.

"Calling: Harley Keener," Jocasta replied.

"Who's Harley Keener?" Rogers wanted to know.

Rhodey rolled his eyes as he answered: "He's a kid from Tennessee, Tony met him when Killian showed up six years ago. Great with tech, of all sorts. Barnes is gonna be fine."

Both Rhodey and Hope eyed the concerned person questioningly, silently asking if he was okay with a stranger working on his arm... or rather, if it was safe for the stranger in question.

Barnes thought about it for a moment and then nodded, but even that was not enough for Rogers: "Are you sure we can trust this kid to-"

"We are sure, Rogers," Hope cut him off.

Rogers looked down like a chastised kid.

Rhodey smiled at Hope: _That's my girl,_ he thought.

Lang (his name was Lang, right?) timidly raised a hand: "Um... I... You know, I have a master in electrical engineering... Maybe I can help... If you, uh... need more help, that is..." he stuttered.

Rhodey decided to defer to Hope on this. If he was perfectly honest with himself he doubted Lang could be much help (yes, the guy had a master in electrical engineering, but Rhodey himself was MIT-graduated in that sort of things and yet when he looked at the schematics of Barnes' arm he barely understood one thing out of ten), but it was more than clear that the guy was only looking for an opening to try and clear the air between him and Hope.

He looked to his fiancé and raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

Hope's eyes were icy and closed off as she turned to Lang: "I don't think it's a good idea. There's already two of us on this. You'd be better off making sure the gear for the people on your side are in top shape. We're expecting an attack any time, so Barton's arrows, Wilson's suit and your own better be working at 100 per cent."

Lang flinched back as if he had been slapped, and Rhodey almost felt sorry for the guy.

Almost.

Pym had taken this random guy off the street and entrusted him with his technology before he ever trusted Hope. And then they both had gone rogue and ruined Hope's life. When Rogers had come calling, Lang turned his back on his daughter without a second thought... just like Pym did a few months later. Hope had more than enough reason to give Lang the middle finger.

The guy had probably taken a page from Rogers, since he apparently wasn't going to leave it be without insisting: "Hope, I-"

"All your gear has been stored in the secondary armory here at the Compound," Rhodey interrupted him, addressing all the rogues at once but clearly intending to shut Lang up, "Jocasta will escort you there."

His tone didn't leave room for an argument. Hope had already gone through enough today, she shouldn't have to deal with Lang's regrets on top of everything else.

Jocasta was quick to back him up: "Of course, Colonel," the AI replied, sounding a little too eager. She clearly wanted to get rid of these guys ASAP. She wasn't the only one, by any means.

"Anything else we need to go over?" Rhodey then asked, ready to end the meeting.

Curiously, Sif spoke up: "Can I make a request?"

Rhodey motioned silently for her to go on.

"I lost my shield in the Siege of Vanaheim, at the hands of Surtur," she said, "and I would feel more at ease if I could have another one for the next battle. I have my armour and I can fight with my sword alone, but I feel I would be of more use if I could properly protect myself..."

Rhodey's face was illuminated by an ecstatic smile.

Sif had no idea of course, but her request was a gift from heaven. He watched Rogers' face contort in growing horror as the fake Captain realized what Rhodey was thinking.

Even without the emotional baggage, if Rhodey had to choose between giving better protection and survival chances to the puny super soldier or to the Asgardian Goddess of War in the upcoming fight... well, too bad for the super soldier. The best tactical decision was to protect the more valuable asset.

"We have just the thing," Rhodey assured Sif, "just give Dum-E and U thirty minutes to strip the stupid paintjob." he smiled.

Sif looked slightly confused, especially when Sharon couldn't hold back the laughter anymore. But Rhodey was too busy relishing the look of absolute betrayal on Rogers' face to give the Asgardian any further explanation.

_Yeah, Karma is a bitch, Rogers. Kinda like you.  
_

The super soldier was about to protest when Jocasta spoke again:

"Proximity alert! Unidentified flying object entering Earth's upper atmosphere!"

Rhodey immediately slipped into his battle-ready state of mind: "Is it them?" he asked for confirmation.

"It doesn't appear so, Colonel," Jo replied, "it's a single craft, much smaller than the Black Order's ships..."

"Do we have a visual?" Rhodey asked then.

Jocasta responded by projecting a 3D image of the approaching spaceship from the holograms of the conference table. It almost looked like a red seagull.

Carol perked up: "That's an M-class Ravager ship," she said.

Before anyone could reply, her communicator started trilling. She pulled it out of her pocket, and right as she saw who was calling her, her expression became a little exhasperated.

She activated the device, and a small 3D hologram of a man in his thirties with curly hair and a slightly frightened expression appeared out of it.

"Hi, Carol," he greeted.

"Quill," Carol replied, "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to come back to Earth..."

The man's expression became, if possible, even more spooked: "Thanos has taken the Reality Stone," he said.

Everybody froze at the statement. Carol's expression hardened: "Fucking great," she muttered.

Rhodey looked around the room, and saw that everyone looked concerned.

If this guy was saying the truth, now Thanos had three Stones... Four, if his minions had already taken the Time Stone from Doctor Strange.

"We need to fight him together, all of us, if we want a chance of stopping him," the man called Quill said.

"Yeah," Carol agreed with a sigh, "We'll send you the coordinates for landing. We're in upstate New York, we'll wait for you."

"Thanks, Carol... I look forward to-"

She cut off the communication before Quill had a chance to finish, and rolled her eyes: "He's a friendly... Annoying, but friendly. He helped find the information on the Black Order. I hate to admit it, but we could use his help, and that of his team," she explained to Rhodey.

The Colonel nodded his assent, but something else was on his mind: "He said Thanos has taken anotuer Infinity Stone?"

Carol nodded gravely: "Looks like this is gonna be the fight of our lives..."

***

"All right, get your hand in the steering gimbal, close those around it," Friday ordered Peter as she shoved her arm in one of the two metal contraptions that were used to control Supergiant's spaceship.

"Yep, got it," Peter said, doing the same thing on the other gimbal.

"This thing was designed for a single oversized person, so we have to move in perfect sync," Friday reminded Peter.

In front of them, Tony tuned out their voices as his armor scanned the console in front of him, and he took over the weapons controls.

Taking control of Supergiant's ship had not been easy. All the schematics and on-board computer systems they could find were (obviously) in some obscure alien language. Tony and Friday could only decypher the drawings and holograms.

After a few failed attempts, they had managed to work out the main systems on Supergiant's ship. Then, it had been a piece of cake to find the other spaceship on their radar: Maw's ship.

They had managed to rig the autopilot on their own spaceship to start the pursuit. Maw was quite a bit ahead of them, so they had had some ground to gain back. It had taken them almost two hours at maximum speed to get within firing range.

But now, Ebony Maw was in sight.

Tony looked at the monitor in front of him. Maw's ship was highlighted in red, a crosshair circling it.

His hand hovered over the trigger (or at least the button he hoped was the trigger) as he turned to Peter and Friday behind him: "Are you ready back there?" he asked.

"Uh... More or less..." Peter stuttered.

"We are ready, Boss," Friday assured, much more convinced.

Tony turned back to the hologram of Maw's spaceship in front of him, highlighted by the targeting system. They didn't know if he had seen them sneak up behind him, but Maw's ship was maintaining course and speed. Tony hope they still had the element of surprise.

He pulled up the schematics of the ship on another hologram:

"Alright, I'm gonna try and target his ship's main armament first. I just hope that ship is the exact same model as this one and the guns are in the same place..."

"And if they aren't?" Peter asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

"You two will have to try and perform some evasive maneuvers if he returns fire," Tony answered.

It was not exactly the ideal situation, but there was nothing else they could do. They had to try and cripple Maw's ship. Disable the guns and engines without destroying the life-support system, otherwise Strange and Wanda would suffocate, freeze, die and explode before they could save them.

He still wasn't sure how to save them, really. It wasn't like they could assault and board Maw's ship like seventeenth-century pirates boarding a Spanish galleon. They were in fucking outer space...

He had to hope that Maw would be distracted by the surprise attack and Strange and Wanda would manage to break free on their own and somehow overpower him. Then they would think about transferring them on their own ship.

That is, if Strange and Wanda were even still alive.

The plan was based on blind luck and tons of assumptions. It wasn't even a real plan, if he was honest with himself. But there was nothing else Tony, Peter and Friday could do, aside from trying and provide some external support. Worst case scenario, Maw's ship would still be crippled in the middle of space, and he would not be able to get the Time Stone to Thanos.

And they couldn't let the Time Stone fall into Thanos' hands. They had to do _something,_ and this was the only thing they could do.

"Okay," Tony breathed, "here goes nothing..."

He took a deep breath and fired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that "get this man a shield" bullshit that T'Challa spewed in the movie? Fuck that. Rogers deserves NOTHING. I'd rather give that shield to a complete stranger than back to him. Thus, Sif gets the shield. It's gonna be of more use in her hands than his, anyway.
> 
> In the next chapter we'll see if Tony's... twelve per cent of a plan is successful. Remember that, unbeknownst to him, Wanda and Strange have already managed to break free from Maw, and are currently playing hide and seek with him inside his ship...


	12. Prisoners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony, Friday and Peter attack Maw's ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, this chapter was supposed to be up two days ago. Then my Internet connection decided to take some belated Christmas holidays, and came back only today. I'm sorry ^^'.
> 
> Anyway, here is the new chapter!

Stephen was trying as hard as he could to concentrate. The pain from those damned spikes was terrible, but it was slowly subsiding. For all that Maw's torture methods were terrible, he didn't think he was actually wounded.

It still didn't mean he was in fighting conditions, though.

This was bad. They were quickly running out of options. He had to-

"There you are!"

The exclamation made him turn his head so fast his neck hurt. He barely had the time to bulge his eyes in fear as a massive chunk of metal was hurled at his face by Maw's telekinesis. He scrambled back, but the debris never hit him.

Mere centimeters from him, it became engulfed in an all too familiar red mist before being thrown back at the alien, who dodged effortlessly.

Stephen turned to look at Wanda. Her face showed nothing but determination, but her posture was sloppy. That needle right in her spine had left her weakened too.

_I have to help her, or we won't stand a chance..._

Maw smirked to himself as he saw Wanda get in a fighting stance as Stephen tried to get on his feet: "Foolish humans. Again you persist in fighting me? Have you forgotten how I've captured you both with little to no effort? Don't you see that you're merely delaying the inevitable?"

"We can be extremely stubborn," Stephen quipped.

"Well then," Maw scoffed, "I guess I'll just have to _beat_ some sense into you," he replied, flicking his hands and kinetically levitating two more huge pieces of metal.

Stephen saw Wanda brace herself, but he could barely stand. He already knew they were going to lose.

But then, a loud bang resonated in the room as the whole ship was rocked by a big explosion.

All three of them fell on the ground. The lights flickered for a few seconds, and Wanda took the opportunity to blast Maw with all her strength. Maw retaliated with a concussive blast of his own, and the clashing powers caused the middle part of the ceiling to collapse, momentarily separating Stephen and Wanda from their kidnapper.

Then, it happened again. Another explosion rocked the ship.

Was someone attacking them?

"What's going on!?" Wanda shouted.

"Wanda, we have to get away!" Stephen shouted back.

She looked at him and hurried over to help him. He was too heavy for her, so she just lifted him with her powers and carried him away to the adjacent room.

Another explosion.

They could hear Maw’s angry shouting back in the room they had just left.

"What's going on?" Wanda whispered again.

Stephen looked around, his expression lost: "I don't know..." he admitted, "it sounds like the ship is falling apart..."

"In outer space?" Wanda asked with fear.

Stephen looked back at her. He was as much at a loss as she was.

Yet another explosion jolted the ship. Wanda shrieked before covering her mouth with both hands. Stephen cursed under his breath.

_What the hell is happening?_

***

"What now!?" Ebony Maw yelled in frustration as he recovered from the first explosion.

These annoying pests. What had they concocted now to stall for time? Had they somehow managed to sabotage his ship?

He got back on his feet and stalked to the main control room as more explosions quaked the craft. A quick check on the ship's systems showed something he was not expecting.

They hadn't sabotaged the ship. The attack came from the outside.

Someone was trying to intercept him!

They had already disabled all of the main guns, but they hadn't targeted the vital areas of the hull. Clearly they were trying to rescue the humans.

Very well. He would show whoever it was that the children of Thanos were not to be trifled with.

He turned on the external cameras, trying to identify his assailants. What he was made him backtrack.

It was a Q-ship.

Supergiant's ship.

***

"All their guns are offline," Tony exclaimed triumphantly.

"Yes!" Peter cheered jumping a little, forgetting for a moment that his arm was stuck in the rudder of the ship. The craft veered a few degrees to the right, before he and Friday were able to correct the course.

"Keep it steady, it's not over yet," Tony ordered, "it might still try to run away," he said, lining up the crosshair on the engines of Maw's ship to immobilize it.

"Supergiant! What are you doing!?"

Maw's voice, echoing in the control room, made Tony stop right before pressing the trigger as he, Peter and Friday reeled a little in surprise.

Tony recovered the fastest. He smirked to himself, turning to look at Peter and Friday behind him: "I love it when we have the element of surprise," he cackled.

Peter and Friday both chuckled as Tony turned back and opened fire again.

***

The last explosion had knocked both Wanda and Stephen off their feet. Stephen shook his head trying to gather his wits, and that's when he heard it.

He hadn't even noticed the ever-present, suffused and monotone noise that the ship made before. But now, that noise was gradually getting lower. It sounded like a big computer shutting down.

"Doctor, are you okay?" Wanda asked, trying to help him up.

"We're losing power," Stephen answered.

"What?"

"The ship. It's losing power... can you hear it?"

Wanda furrowed her brow, trying to listen: "You’re right... It sounds like the engines are shutting down..."

"Something's not right... This doesn’t look like something Maw would do to catch us," Stephen reasoned. Maybe this could be their chance...

He looked up and started to walk back the way they had come, gritting his teeth in pain and bracing himself against the left wall of the corridor as he moved forward.

"Doctor, where are you going!?" Wanda asked, alarmed.

He turned around: "I don't know what's happening, but this could be our only way out of here," he explained, "we have to find out what's going on." Without waiting for an answer, Stephen resumed walking.

"Doctor, wait!" Wanda exclaimed, hurrying behind him, "Maw is still out of our league! We can't take him on!"

"I don't want to take him on. I want to get off this damn ship," Stephen seethed before finally looking back, "You coming with me or do you prefer to stay here?"

Wanda didn't answer, simply nodding in defeat. They both started going back in silence.

***

Maw was aghast.

A quick check of the ship's systems showed that the bombardment it had just suffered had completely crippled it, disabling all of the offensive weapons, as well as the main and secondary engines. And when the hologram in front of him had identified Supergiant's ship as the assailant, he was left reeling. What was that wench doing!?

"Supergiant! What is the meaning of this!? Answer me!"

It had taken a few minutes for Maw to finally get an answer. At first, it was just some static, followed by a ruffled noise, as if there were some trouble with the communication system. But when the voice finally came through, it was not what Maw expected.

"Hello? Is this thing on? Can you hear me?"

Maw furrowed his brow: that wasn't Supergiant's voice!

Who was this!? Had they taken her ship!?

"I-I’m sorry, uh... Supergiant can't really come to the phone right now. Or ever again, actually," the voice continued after a while.

Confusion took over Maw's thoughts: "What? Who are you!?" he demanded.

"Why, we are those who disposed of your associate and hijacked her ship, of course!" the voice exclaimed, as if this was all a game. Maw wasn't sure, but this voice sounded like that of the human wearing that red armor, back on Terra... no, that was impossible, a mere human could never have defeated Supergiant!

"What do you want!?" Maw inquired. He already knew of course, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure. And, he needed to stall for time for a bit, until he figured out how to extricate himself from his current predicament.

"You know what we want" the man said, "The two people you have captured on Earth. And the Infinity Stone they carry. Should be pretty obvious... Unless you're holding some other innocent prisoners. In which case we'll take those too, thank you very much."

Maw scoffed: "How pointless. Rescuing friends. And what exactly would you do if I don't comply to your requests? Keep shooting until my ship is destroyed and your friends are sucked in the vacuum of space, where they will die in seconds?"

"Making a lot of assumptions there, buddy. They're not my friends," the man sneered, "I've literally just met the Doctor. Sure, I like his goatee, the man has style. But friends? Nah. Barely acquaintances. Besides, he told me he's more than ready to die in order to keep the Time Stone from falling into the wrong hands. As for the woman... well, there's not enough time in the day. Let's just avoid that minefield entirely."

Maw was left speechless. He suddenly remembered the young girl who had interrupted his speech back on Earth. This man seemed to have the same inclination to useless babble... Who did these Terrans think they were to speak out of place like that!?

"So, if you don't hand over the prisoners and the Time Stone in... oh, I don’t know... five minutes? Yeah, let's say five minutes. I've got no problems just blowing you all up and get the Stone from the wreckage," the man continued, "Kind of a poor alternative if you ask me, but you know, people like having options."

Maw growled. He was at the Earthling’s mercy.

He did not want to run away, but he had no other choice. There was no other way out...

_The Almighty Thanos will not be pleased._

Thankfully, he could still present him with the human girl as a gift, on top of the Time Stone.

He moved away from the main console, stalking up to a monitor on the right side of the room, and activated the ship's self-destruct sequence. Now he just had to find those two humans before blowing up the ship. But he had to hurry: maybe that earthling was bluffing, but there was still a chance that he would carry out his threat and destroy him before he could enact his plan.

***

Tony glared at the communication system. There had been nothing but silence after he had delivered his threat.

"Why doesn't he answer?" Peter asked after a minute.

"He's up to something," Friday commented, "Maybe we should start shooting again... Try to hit some secondary areas of the ship-"

"It's too dangerous," Tony dismissed her.

Friday didn't reply, but Tony knew what she was thinking just by looking at her: he had just threatened to blow up Maw's entire ship, with Strange and Wanda on board...

The simple fact of the matter was, he wasn't sure he could do that.

Yes, he barely knew Strange, and Wanda had done nothing but harm to him. But murdering them in cold blood like this... he wasn't sure he could pull it off. Even if it was for the greater good.

He wasn’t like Rogers, and he didn’t want to become like that. Collateral damage was _never_ acceptable.

"I gave him ten minutes," he finally said, "after that, we'll start shooting again."

He hoped he didn't have to. Even though Friday was probably right and Maw was plotting something, he hoped he wouldn’t have to sacrifice two allies for that stupid green rock.

He hoped it didn't come to that, because he didn't think he could do what he had threatened to do.

***

Strange and Wanda had heard everything.

They had been right behind Maw when Tony's voice had come through the comm, as Iron Man had announced himself with the usual flare... and threatened to blow them all up.

The happiness Wanda had felt at first had been overwhelming. For a moment, she felt like a princess in a cheeky, stupid fairytale, as a literal knight in shining armor came to her rescue.

Immediately after that, she felt incredibly stupid: she _knew_ she and Tony were never meant to be together. She wanted to slap herself even just for entertaining that thought. Tony was happy with his family, and she had already nearly ruined it for him once.

She had to keep herself in line. Tony was there for the Time Stone, not for her. Never for her.

She knew it, but it still hurt when Tony stated his intention of shooting them all in outer space if Maw didn't surrender in a timely fashion.

Well, however short, it had still been a nice moment. A pipe dream was still a good dream.

She was brought back to reality when she felt Strange's hand gripping her wrist. She whirled around just as the Doctor pulled her away, holding his other index finger over his mouth in a motion for her to keep quiet.

She let herself be pulled along for a few minutes, until they reached another part of the ship. Then she had to ask: "Doctor, what are you doing?" she whispered.

"Getting us out of here," Strange replied laconically.

"How?" Wanda asked confused.

Strange turned, taking something from his belt: "With this," he told her, showing her his Sling Ring, "we are gonna find a safe spot away from Maw and open a portal to Stark's ship."

Wanda felt unsure. She had heard about those double rings that could apparently open dimensional portals, but she had never seen one in action: "Is it gonna work?" she wanted to know.

"I hope so," Strange said forcefully, "I've memorized the command room where Maw was talking to Stark. Hopefully it's identical to the one on Stark's ship. For the Sling Ring to work I have to imagine where I want to go...” he told her.

As they kept walking, a heavy silence had fallen between the two. Trying to diffuse it, Strange spoke again: “What about you? You were telling me that you saw an alien city in Maw's head earlier, right?" he asked, maybe trying to distract her.

Wanda concentrated, trying to recall what she's seen when she had attacked Maw: "Yes... I think... I think it's a capital of some sort..."

"A capital? Like a capital of a State?"

Wanda made a face: "More like... a capital of an empire... an empire that spawns over several planets..." she said. That she had a moment of clarity: "The Nova Empire!"

"Nova Empire?"

"Yes," Wanda nodded vehemently, "that's what it's called. And that city... it's not just a city, it's an entire planet!"

"Makes sense," Strange mused, "if this Nova Empire comprises several planets, I don't see why they can't have a whole planet as their capital..."

"Xandar," Wanda exclaimed.

"Xandar?" Strange parroted, "Is that what the planet is called?"

"Yes," Wanda said, fully convinced, "I'm sure. There's an Infinity Stone on a planet called Xandar. It's their next target."

"Great," Strange breathed, "so they really are after all the Stones. We have to get out of here."

"Do you really think you can open a portal to T- ...to Mr. Stark's ship?" Wanda asked then.

Strange pursed his lips: "I've never tried it in outer space, to go from a spaceship to another, but hopefully-"

"Doctor, watch out!" Wanda's powers flared as she blocked a giant piece of metallic tube hurled her way.

Maw had found them.

She turned, and finally spotted him. He was slowly walking up behind them. He looked furious.

"Doctor, we have to go! Do it now!" she yelled, barely registering Strange's nod of assent as he moved behind her and started to concentrate on creating a portal. Wanda immediately created a barrier with her powers to shield herself and the Doctor from Maw.

That seemed to rile up the alien even more, as he pressed the attack with a wave of compressed air and several debris. Maw's attack slammed onto Wanda's barrier with the force of a hurricane. The witch gritted her teeth, struggling to counter the alien's immense power, but her barrier held fast.

"Wanda, I'm ready! Let's go!"

Wanda turned. Sure enough, ten meters behind her, Strange was diving into a sparkling, circular ring that was clearly a portal. Wanda dropped her barrier and sprinted towards it.

Tony was on the other side of that portal.

Salvation was there, a few feet away from her...

...but she never reached it.

Faster than her legs could carry her, an enormous piece of concrete slammed in front of her and against the much smaller portal, dissolving it.

Despair caught her. She didn't even have time to turn and defend herself from Maw's next attack as a straw debris slammed against the side of her head, and she dropped to the floor.

"You're not going anywhere," she heard Maw say.

_No... Tony..._

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness were Maw's feet moving towards her.

***

"Time's almost up. Forty-four seconds left..."

Friday's voice was grim. Tony fidgeted a little with his hands. He didn't have another option. If he didn't carry out his earlier threat, Maw would see that he was not ready to sacrifice his allies, and would undoubtedly find a way to use that to his advantage.

"Dammit... Come on, stupid fish-faced alien, you don't have another choice..." Tony muttered. But it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

"Um... Guys? Is that normal?"

Peter's voice made him turn to a rather peculiar spectacle. There were sparks appearing out of thin air right behind Peter and Friday.

"What the-"

Tony wasn't even able to finish his sentence as the sparks started to morph into a circle. A moment later, Stephen Strange dropped out of the weird magicky thing in all of his Merlin-styled glory.

"Doctor Strange?" Friday called, nonplussed.

"Hello, miss Stark," he replied breathlessly.

"What just happened!?" asked Peter, completely dumbfounded.

***

Maw dragged Wanda's unconscious form back to the main control room. He threw her onto some sort of circular platform.

A white beam enclosed Wanda's body. A few seconds later, she disappeared from sight.

Maw didn't spare her a second thought. He turned to the main console and tapped a few commands.

"Initiate self-destruct sequence," he ordered.

The room's lights started to dim as he walked to the same platform where Wanda had just been teleported away.

"This isn't over," he vowed as the white beam reappeared. Moments later, he too disappeared from the doomed Q-Ship.

***

"Do you have the Time Stone?" Tony asked.

"Yeah... Yeah, it's here," Strange replied, holding up the Eye of Agamotto for the three Avengers to see. Friday exhaled a breath, closing her eyes for a moment.

Tony looked back towards the hologram of Maw's ship projected on the main console: "Wanda?" he asked then.

"She was behind me, but Maw attacked us. I don't know what happened, the portal didn't hold..."

"Dammit... What's that bastard doing?" Tony growled.

The answer came almost immediately.

The noise projected by the holo-system on the main console was very suffused. But it still made all their hearts sink to the pit of their stomach as they watched Maw's ship start to disintegrate on the 3D hologram.

It looked almost surreal. The first explosions engulfed the circular ship in flames and debris, then some more powerful explosions started to deform the ring structure. In the end, a final deflagration completely and utterly destroyed the mangled ship.

"Did... did that thing just explode?" Peter asked in disbelief.

Tony didn't answer, still transfixed by the spectacle shown by the hologram. Red warnings had started to blare on the central console. Tony's eyes bulged as he realized what they stood for.

"Oh fuck, debris incoming!" he yelled, engaging the helmet of his suit, "Hold on to something!"

Everybody scrambled to do as they had been told. Friday and Peter engaged their helmets too, and the hem of the Cloak of Levitation wrapped around a piece of steel piping that Strange was also holding to. Not three seconds later, the ship was showered by thousands of fragments of wreckage raining down on it from Maw's destroyed craft.

The noise of the debris peppering the hull was almost deafening. The ship rocked and quaked with every hit, sounding like it was about to fall apart too.

Fortunately, that didn't look to be the case. After a few moments, the onslaught ended.

"Everyone alright?" Tony asked as he got to his feet.

"What did you do!?" Strange asked crossly instead of answering.

"Nothing! It wasn't us!" Peter replied, almost scared, "... it wasn't us, right?"

"No, it wasn't," Karen replied from his suit, "the explosions were internal. Ebony Maw's ship self-destructed."

Everybody was stunned into silence for a moment.

"Son of a bitch," Tony muttered in the end.

***

Ebony Maw reappeared in the teleporter situated in the cargo hold of the Sanctuary II. To his left, a couple Chitauri were hoisting up the still unconscious witch.

He was scared. So scared he felt his heart in his throat. He had failed in his quest to retrieve the Time Stone.

As he walked towards Thanos' throne room, he eyed the witch. He hoped such a gift would quell Thanos' wrath.

***

Hela was sitting half-slouched on Thanos' throne, and didn't even raise an eyebrow as the fourth - and now, last - member of the Black Order entered the room.

Cull Obsidian, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight were all already there, kneeling before their master and trembling in fear. Thanos was pacing slowly in front of them, a stormy expression on his face. His massive frame and imposing vibe alone would have been enough to make most men shake in their boots, and the Black Order... they were even more scared. Because they knew Thanos' ruthlessness.

Ebony Maw gulped as he walked up to them and kneeled down beside Obsidian.

"The Black Order," Thanos started, his voice cutting like a knife, "my most trusted children. You failed me, all of you. At least Supergiant had the decency to die and save me the trouble of punishing her myself," he growled.

The four lesser aliens cowered back in fear. Hela watched dispassionately as Thanos kept pacing.

She knew what this was: a show of strength, all for her.

All this, just to impress _her._

Normally, Thanos wasn't the type of man who toyed with people. While he had many downsides, Hela could at least appreciate his efficiency. It was the only thing that had convinced her to accept his help in her quest to balance the Universe: the fact that Thanos seemed to have her same drive. That he would not be distracted by anything until he had achieved his goal.

But this little show that he was putting on? It was simply pathetic. As were all of his recent attempts to impress her.

Yes, he was making his four minions cower in fear. And so what? How did that help in his cause?

Hela was many things, but she wasn't one to mess around like that. When subordinates failed, you either gave them another chance or disposed of them. You didn't flex your muscles to show them who was in charge. Subordinates should already know who was in charge.

Thanos' attitude was starting to annoy her.

Proxima Midnight tried to justify herself: "Father, we-"

"Silence!" Thanos boomed. Midnight flinched and looked down in fear, snapping her mouth shut.

Thanos resumed his pacing: "I am severely disappointed. Being thwarted by mere humans," he scoffed.

Hela maintained her stoic expression, but she was really starting to get bored. How long did Thanos intend to drag this out?

The Titan stopped, closing his eyes in thought: "My goal is one that requires ruthlessness. You will return to Earth and get the Time and Mind Stone, or you will die trying. This is where my mercy ends. Am I understood?"

Hela barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He had just told them he had to be ruthless, and then went back on it and graced his generals with a second chance. _Pointless theatrics._

"Thank you, Father," Proxima replied, looking like a puppy wagging its tail. This time, Hela did roll her eyes.

"Cull Obsidian," Thanos called.

The burly alien stood, his severed left arm still bleeding and staining the floor: "Father," he acknowledged.

"You will not go back to Earth with your siblings," Thanos declared, "I have another task for you."

The other three seemed surprised... and also worried. Obsidian was the strongest out of the Black Order, and losing him could spell doom for their mission on Earth.

"But father-" Glaive started. Thanos leveled a glare at him, and the wiry alien immediately flinched back, not daring to argue further.

Hela gritted her teeth. Was this some more of Thanos toying with his minions, setting them up for failure by sending them back to Midgard without their strongest asset?

Her patience was wearing thin.

Obsidian, however, didn't share her same mood: "I am at your service, Father," he nodded.

Thanos moved to stand before him: "You will take Nebula to planet Maarin. Gamora will come to save her sister. Bring me her head."

Obsidian nodded, bowing to his master.

"As for you," he told the remaining three, "Earth will be waiting for you to come back. You will have the Outriders, they shall be your force. But, should you yet again fail to bring me the Stones... they shall become your end."

The three nodded silently.

The Outriders were twisted creatures, even more revolting than the Chitauri. They weren't particularly strong or resilient when taken singularly, but their strength was in their numbers: they were hundreds of thousands, and always operated as a single, massive group. Undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, that could wear down even the mightiest defence, and that would more than compensate for taking Cull Obsidian off the task.

But if Earth's defences once again proved too much for the Black Order, being killed by the Outriders would be a horrible way to die.

"That is all," Thanos finally concluded, waving his children away.

Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive rose from their kneeling positions and bowed to their master, but Ebony Maw remained down: "Father, if I may," he started, "I was thwarted in my quest to obtain the Mind Stone, but I have managed to capture one of Earth’s defenders. Allow me to present it to you as a gift..."

Thanos raised an eyebrow, his interest clearly piqued. Maw beckoned for a few Chitauri who had been standing to the far side of the room to come forward.

They were carrying a young woman. She struggled weakly against the manhandling, but she seemed to be very fatigued and only semi-conscious. Battle-worn, Hela reckoned.

"She is a powerful witch," Maw explained, "one of the most powerful ones I have ever crossed paths with. Her power comes from the Mind Stone."

Both Thanos and Hela looked at the girl.

"Does it now?" Thanos asked, interested.

He moved towards the woman. "What's your name, child?"

The girl didn't answer. She just raised her head and growled. A moment later, her power came alive. She attacked with a red stream of raw, savage magic pouring out of her hands. The Chitauri holding her were sent flying as she directed that wave of power against Thanos.

Hela raised an eyebrow. _Not bad,_ she thought. This girl had considerable power. It was absolutely wild, unrefined and erratic, but not irrelevant. A passable opponent.

Well, a passable opponent for the Black Order, at least. For Thanos, not so much.

The Titan brushed off the attack like nothing. The Space, Reality and Soul Stones in the gauntlet flared, and the girl's power dissipated like it had never been there. He then proceeded to slap her to the side.

Now, the witch was the one who was sent flying. She skidded on the floor for a few meters and didn’t get up, having once again been knocked out.

"Hn. She is a fighter," Thanos commented, "Powerful and beautiful. She has potential."

"I thought you might like such a present," Ebony Maw interjected.

"Yes," Thanos replied, satisfied, "especially since my favourite daughter, Gamora, has decided to rebel against me..." he said wistfully.

Hela narrowed her eyes. She had already guessed where this was going.

"Bring her to Titan," he finally ordered to the Chitauri guards, "I shall truly test her mettle."

Hela had had enough.

That was Thanos' most detestable trait. His passion for torturing and twisting young girls, molding them to his image and making them his pet daughters.

Exactly what Odin had done to her.

She was not gonna stay for this. She rose from her seat and started to walk away.

Thanos immediately noticed her leaving: "My love," he called her back.

She turned, looking at him spitefully: "are you done playing?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"You seem more interested in your... family issues, than your goal," Hela elaborated, "You send one of your sons to kill your daughter, then you go looking for a suitable replacement... How much more focus, time and effort are you going to waste on your little side projects?"

Her voice was bored, but it held a harsh tone of accusation. Thanos' expression hardened: "Everything I do is aimed at furthering our goal," he said. Then his voice took a more condescending lilt: "so we can accomplish our destiny," he continued, trying to caress her cheek with the back of her hand.

Hela pushed his arm away: "Balance is _my_ destiny, not yours," she said dismissively, "for you, it's merely a self-appointed mission. Don't forget that."

She turned and left, without giving him a chance to argue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trouble in paradise for Thanos and Hela.
> 
> Or rather, trouble in Hel XD.


	13. Truths and theories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers meet the Guardians and start to get ready. Thor has to face Sif, and Hela need to figure out where she stands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I was trying to update this chapter in two weeks instead of three. I managed in two weeks and a half...
> 
> ...Yay? ^^'
> 
> Well, enjoy and let me know what you think!

The Avengers were all outside, standing in a loose semi-circle around Helipad Three of the Compound. Rhodey stood a little in front of everybody else, clad in the latest War Machine suit, Mark 5. Despite Carol's assurances that the alien ship about to land was a friendly, Rhodey wasn't inclined to take any chances.

And he wasn't the only one: the Avengers all looked tense and ready to fight. Even Rogers and his gang, despite not having been given any weapon yet, seemed wound up.

Through his open comm, he heard Jocasta give direction to the alien craft for landing. After a couple of minutes, the weird ship appeared in the sky.

It really looked like a metallic red bird. Rhodey almost expected it to flap its wings as it slowly lowered down on the helipad.

As Carol came to stand to his right, he addressed her without ever taking his eyes off the landing craft: "You sure about this guy?" he asked, "You told me he was a criminal..."

"Yeah," Carol replied in a bored tone, "He's a member of the Ravagers, a group of space pirates. Or at least he was up until recently. He has a couple of bounties on his head in the Kree Empire, but basically every Ravager in the universe does. He can be a little loud and flashy, but he's harmless. Don't worry about him, I have him handled."

Rhodey simply nodded in acknowledgement as the spaceship finally touched down.

He didn't really know what to expect when the occupants of the ship started filing out. Rhodey had been dealing with quite a lot of absurd and crazy things in the last few years, and it wasn't like aliens were much of a sensation anymore... but he felt his eyes bulge until they almost shot out of their sockets as the 'Guardians of the Galaxy', or so he was told these guys were called, started to approach.

The first to come out of the ship was a skinny guy that could have passed for a human, if not for a red appendage that came out of his head resembling a mohawk. It looked like it was made of metal or plastic, definitely not an organic part of his body, and it almost seemed like it was welded to his skull under the skin.

Then came a woman with bright green skin. Her expression was stormy and troubled, and she immediately eyed all of the Avengers with suspicion. Rhodey recognized military training when he saw it, but this was something more. She wasn't a soldier, more like an assassin. Her eyes had a similar glint as Natasha's, and the way she carried herself wasn't that different from the Black Widow's either. This girl had a story, a story that Rhodey wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

If the first two Guardians were clearly alien but still looked fairly humanoid, the third and fourth members of the ragtag group definitely did not: a bipedal, antropomorphic raccoon who carried a gun almost bigger than he was slung across his back, and a walking tree that wasn't even looking where he was going, too engrossed in some sort of videogame he was holding in his hands (Branches? Twigs? Whatever). Absurd and crazy was one thing, but these two looked like Looney Tunes characters.

Next, Rhodey recognized the guy named Quill from the earlier video call with Carol. He was wearing a trenchcoat and leather pants, clearly trying too hard to look badass, and instead looking like an extra from a bad 1980s movie.

Tony would have gone to town on this guy.

As he eyed Carol, all his supposed bad boy vibe crumpled instantly: he waved at her sheepishly, clearly fearful of the retribution should he ever do something that even remotely pissed her off.

Carol just rolled her eyes at him. Yup, she had him handled, alright.

The next to come out of the ship was a barrel of a man who was every bit as big and muscly as Rogers - maybe even more so. He had gray skin, covered almost entirely in blood-red tattoos. He was shirtless, and carried two mean looking knives in a couple of scabbards strapped to his boots. Now _that_ was intimidating, not that silly outlaw attire that Quill guy was wearing.

Well, certainly more intimidating that the next person who exited the spaceship. She was a frail-looking woman with big eyes and a couple of antennae on her forehead that made her slightly resemble a bug. She was guarded and wary, hiding behind the big guy and keeping her gaze to the ground, only throwing occasional glances up at the Avengers.

Both groups eyed each other, as if waiting for someone to speak. The first to open his mouth was the big guy with the tattoos: "It seems we missed quite the battle here," he commented, noting the destruction that reigned where the East wing of the Compound once was.

Nobody answered him, however, because one last figure exited the spaceship.

"...Thor?" Sif called in a confused voice.

Rhodey hadn't even recognized him. The God of Thunder was a far cry from his usual, shiny and boisterous self. His clothes were ragged, his shoulders hunched forward and his expression was defeated. His hair was (badly) cut short, and he was missing his hammer and cape. He was also wearing an eyepatch on his right eye.

He must have been through a lot, that much was obvious. Thanos must have kicked his ass big time.

He only raised his head once he heard Sif's voice, and all of a sudden, he seemed to break down. He stumbled forward and enveloped the other Asgardian in a bearhug.

"You still live..." he muttered.

Sif didn't respond, and didn't return the hug. Quite the opposite: she had visibly stiffened upon contact.

Thor held her for a moment more, until he finally realized something was wrong. He drew back, keeping his hands on her shoulders, and looked at her in slight confusion.

"I do," Sif replied coldly, almost angrily.

What Rhodey heard was: 'No shit, Sherlock'.

Thor frowned, now even more confused. He clearly expected a warmer welcome from his fellow Asgardian: "Sif, what-"

"We are preparing to leave soon," the warrior woman interrupted, "We do not have time for pleasantries, we need to get ready. The fight is coming to us," she explained in the same detatched, passive-aggressive manner. Then she turned on her heels, shrugging off Thor's hands in the process, and walked off towards the Compound.

"This is awkward," Wilson muttered to Lang.

Rhodey kind of agreed.

"Right, uh... Quill?" Carol called, getting back to business despite everything: "Get your people inside. Sif was right, the fight is coming to us."

***

Bucky was trying hard to keep his gaze to the floor in front of him.

To his left, Hope Van Dyne and the new kid - Harley Keener, they had called him - were working on his arm, blabbering some techno-nonsense at one another. Aside from the odd question about how he felt or if he could feel the fingers in his bionic hand (he could, even though he still couldn't move them much until they fully reconnected the arm) they seemed to be ignoring him for the most part, which was fine by him. They kind of made him edgy.

The boy in particular.

He didn't exactly look like Stark with his curly blonde hair and blue eyes, but the way he talked, the way he acted, the way he moved... it felt like he was Stark's brain in a different body. It was uncanny.

He glanced at the kid again. From what he understood, Stark was some sort of mentor to him. Bucky wondered if the boy knew who he was helping here...

He probably did. Everyone in this place seemed to know about Siberia.

Bucky glanced away from the two people working on his arm, and immediately wished he hadn't. Because his gaze landed on the fourth person in the room.

Colonel Rhodes was horribly intimidating. Especially in the War Machine armor.

Bucky bit the inside of his cheek and stared down at the floor, trying to keep calm and not let his nervousness show.

It was pretty difficult.

After Siberia, Iron Man had haunted his nightmares for months. Years, actually. To this day, sometimes he still woke up in a cold sweat at the image of Stark's laser cannons blowing him to pieces. And War Machine standing there like a stalwart sentinel ready to pounce on him should he even just hint he could be a threat to Van Dyne and Keener... well, it was kind of making him nervous.

Rhodes' armor looked even angrier than Stark's, maybe because of the more militaristic general appearance: the battleship-grey and silver coloring, the bulkier, edgier lines of the suit compared to the Iron Man version, and of course those sick shoulder-mounted cannons. In Leipzig, Rhodes only had one, but this new armor had _two,_ one on each shoulder. Bucky knew Stark's armor was more advanced, but Rhodes' was definitely more imposing.

And then there was that faceplate, forged in that permanent angry scowl, that somehow managed to look even meaner in silver and with red eyes. Rhodes' helmet was down at the moment, but Bucky could clearly picture it as if it was engaged. For a moment, he wondered if Stark hadn't made War Machine's helmet identical to his own only to mess with him specifically, in the off-chance he ever encountered Rhodes. It was a stupid thought, but if it was true, then congrats. It was working.

He was brought back from his musings by a little jolt of electricity in his shoulder. He hissed a little in pain, whipping his head back to Keener.

"Yes, I did it on purpose," the kid said, completely unapologetic.

Bucky was surprised to see Rhodes frown on his behalf: he sent the kid a stern look, though the hint of amusement on his face didn't escape Bucky's eyes.

"What?" Keener asked innocently under War Machine's supposedly intimidating glare.

"It's the only way to see if all the sensors are working and if they're connected to his nerve endings correctly," Van Dyne explained.

Bucky sighed: "You know, you could have warned me..." he muttered.

At his words, Keener and Van Dyne shared a look. Then they both shrugged and went back to work. Rhodes never commented on it, fully accepting his girl's explanation... or maybe not really caring one way or the other.

 _Oh boy,_ Bucky thought, _Stark's people are pretty spirited..._

He really couldn't wait to be out of this room now.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. After Van Dyne had finished the wirings on his wrist, Keener soldered all the plating back in place.

"Okay, all done," the boy commented cheerfully at last, "Now, you might have lost fine motor memory since you've been without that hand for about three years, so try it on a hot dog first. We're not gonna build you a prosthetic penis if you squeeze too hard."

Van Dyne guffawed a little, before grimacing in pain from her still open wounds that the aliens had inflicted her. Rhodes tried to chastise the boy: "Harley," he warned, but his face looked way too amused to be taken seriously.

Bucky's eyes bulged in stupor at the kid's antics.

Did he not know what kind of monster the Winter Soldier was? Did he not know how many people he had killed, how many atrocities he had committed?

Or maybe... Maybe he did know. He knew, and he didn't care.

Maybe when he looked at him, he didn't see the Hydra assassin, but just the unwilling lab rat Bucky had been forced to become. Even Van Dyne looked at him like that.

Did it still matter who he was beside the Winter Soldier? Did some people still care about that?

He watched as Van Dyne stood up, wincing slightly and holding her midsection, and walked up to Rhodes. In the armor, Rhodes' frame was ridiculously bulkier than her own, but they hugged regardless.

"Be careful out there, Colonel. I want you back in one piece," Van Dyne commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Rhodes replied fondly before kissing her.

"Get a room, you two!" Keener chirped.

They both smiled as they separated. "No time for that now, I have aliens to deal with," Rhodes replied: "Harley, you can stay here until this blows over. I'm sure Jo would be happy..." he added, looking sideways at the ceiling with a smirk.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Colonel," Stark's AI replied.

"Uh-huh, sure," Rhodes smiled, before turning to Van Dyne: "You need rest. Bed, now. No discussions."

"Aye aye, Colonel," she replied playfully, giving him a military salute. Rhodes smiled at her before finally turning to him.

The Colonel's face lost all friendliness as he sized him up: "That arm good?" he asked.

Bucky stood a little straighter: "Y-yes, Sir. Perfect."

"Good. Let's get moving then," Rhodes ordered, pointing at the door.

***

Left alone in the lab as Rhodey, Hope and Barnes all filed out, Harley took a deep breath.

"Jo?" he called, suddenly turning serious: "This is bad, isn't it?"

"Well," the young AI answered, "the United Nations got so desperate that they went as far as to bring Steve Rogers out of jail, so yes. I'd say it's pretty bad."

Harley nodded gravely, then looked up: "Well, since I'm here, I might get some work done..."

Without further prompting, Jocasta opened all the files of Project Metallic and brought up all the schematics on a 3D hologram, as Harley walked to the unfinished suit of armor laying on a workbench on the far end of the workshop.

***

Mantis felt a strange energy as the stretcher was wheeled past the open door of the room where all the Guardians and the Avengers were situated and continued down the corridor. The man laying on it was... There was something about him. Something she had never felt before.

She met his eyes only for a fleeting moment as he was wheeled away. He was clearly not an ordinary human, if his appearance was anything to go by - no other human had red and gray skin. But he was not like any other species she had ever met, either.

For a long moment she didn't understand. She hadn't touched him, she had barely even seen him, and yet... she had _felt_ him. Felt his emotions. His pain, his love for life, and his resolve to protect the Earth.

Who was he?

"Would you just _leave me alone!?"_

The sudden, hissed words coming from behind her brought her back to reality and made her turn back to the rest of the room.

Close to her, Thor looked completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape and his only eye as wide as it would go, as he stared at the black haired woman with the sword standing in front of him. She was the one who had spoken those words, though nobody else in the room besides Thor and Mantis seemed to have heard her, since nobody was looking her way. Mantis herself had only heard by happenstance because Thor and the woman were the two closest to her, though neither seemed to have noticed her presence.

From what Mantis had understood, the woman was another Asgardian, and also a close friend of Thor's. A friend he had believed dead, and hadn't expected to find here on Terra.

Thor had been happy, seeing her again. But obviously, the feeling wasn't mutual: the woman was staring at him almost with hatred. What was happening?

"Sif... what..." Thor stuttered in confusion.

"Stop insisting, Thor. I will not share my grief upon the destruction of Asgard with you," the woman interrupted him, "I'm not really sure I have any more tears to shed. Not for Asgard, anyway."

"Not for Asgard?" Thor repeated, now seemingly angry, "Sif, I have never met a warrior as loyal to the throne as you! What are you saying!?"

"Loyal to the throne?" the woman hissed angrily, barely keeping her voice down as to not get everyone's attention: "Loyal _to the throne!?_ Don't you even remember!? When the Allfather banished you and Loki tried to usurp your position, I was the first to go against the throne to try and get you back!"

Thor's eye widened even more. Sif continued: "I was loyal to _Asgard._ Not to its throne, but to its people. I was _fiercely_ loyal to them, and I was ready to fight for them until my last breath. But more than that, more than to Asgard, I was loyal to _you,_ you fool!"

Thor reeled back. His mouth opened and closed several times before he managed to get some words out, and when he did, the words they still didn't make any sense: "But I... You were..."

Sif's face was getting angrier by the second, and Mantis... well, she didn't really understand everything of what they were saying, but she got the gist of it. Was Thor really that oblivious?

"I-if that's true, then... what changed?" the man asked in a small voice.

Sif clenched her fists. If looks could kill, Thor would have been a corpse now.

"What changed," Sif growled, like a tiger ready to attack, "is that you recused the throne and disappeared for _years._ And do you know what happened while you were gone?"

Thor lowered his head, seemingly understanding: "Loki..." he muttered in a defeated tone.

Sif looked at him with contempt: "So you know," she scoffed. Thor didn't answer, averting his gaze.

"He banished me," Sif continued, "I was starting to suspect him, and he casted me out to Vanaheim. Ironic that I have to thank him for my survival... Had I stayed on Asgard, I might not have survived Ragnarok."

Thor tried to argue: "You feel betrayed. I understand that. You always served Asgard faithfully, and were rewarded with banishment. I should have been there and done something-"

"Yes, Thor," Sif replied harshly, "you should have been there and done something. I was there for you when you needed it, but when the roles were reversed you were too busy to care. At least, I now know where I stand."

Thor flinched. He took a moment before continuing: "I'm sorry," he said pleadingly, "Sif, I'm sorry. But it wasn't Asgard that betrayed you. Loki fooled us all..."

Sif scoffed again, crossing her arms. Mantis wasn't sure if she sympathized with her or Thor at the moment.

"Sif, half our people are still out there," Thor pleaded, "adrift in space, suffering and dying, without hope. How can you not..." he stopped, trying to find the correct words.

"And so?" Sif demanded, "What is it that you ask of me? To save them? I don't have a spaceship; your newest companions will serve you better that I ever could in that regard. To avenge the fallen? That is exactly why I'm here. Thanos will come with his armies, and I will fight him. Not only for Asgard, but for the entire Universe. How does _rekindling_ help our cause, exactly?"

Thor was effectively silenced by her words. Mantis saw his shoulders sag in defeat.

"I don't have to be your friend to fight at your side," the warrior woman continued, "and I will no longer fight for Asgard. I have been banished, and I will not come back to a realm governed by you. Odin was right about one thing: you're not worthy of the throne."

That said, Lady Sif turned on her heels and walked away, leaving Thor standing there looking angry, frustrated and chastised. He finally noticed Mantis looking at him: "What is it, insect lady?" he asked in a less than friendly tone.

"Uuuh... Trouble in paradise..."

Quill's voice made both Mantis and Thor turn towards him.

"Trouble, yes," Thor replied, "Like a fat jackass who's not minding his own business," he said. His posture was imposing and scary as he took a step towards Quill, so much so that Mantis took a step back in fear.

Quill decided to poke him a little more: "Yeah? From where I'm sitting, it looks like you just got dumped..."

"Again, none of your business," Thor replied, getting even angrier, "so back off before I kick your arse like it's never been kicked before," he threatened.

"Oh, you mean like Thanos kicked yours?"

Quill scoffed, "I've seen you on Knowehere. All show and no go. You're a not even half as strong as you think you are."

Thor was at his boiling point: "Fancy testing it out, _Star Lard?"_

Quill's face darkened at the butchering of his name, but before he could respond, someone else joined the conversation: "Thor, if you're done making out with your boyfriend, we have a Universe to save."

Mantis turned to see the armor-clad man that had presented himself as the leader of the Avengers. He glared at the two bickering men: "We are leaving here in twenty minutes. Get ready," he said addressing Thor, his tone full of authority.

Thor growled a little, but in the end he walked away with a sulky expression.

Quill was about to brag, but the man leveled him with a glare as well: "That means you too, Starbucks."

"It's Star Lord," Quill half-growled, half-whined.

"I don't give a crap. The pissing contests are over, shake it and pull up your pants or you'll deal with Carol."

That looked like it scared Quill out of arguing again. The argument was finally closed when Kraglin silently took his arm and led him away, giving him a look that said he had to talk to him.

With the discussion over, Mantis was left alone. Instinctively, her eyes went back to the open door, almost as if she was subconsciously trying to get another glimpse of the mysterious wounded man that had been wheeled away on the stretcher.

She didn't know why she was so drawn to him. She had never felt that way before.

***

"Who the fuck does that guy think he is?" Quill ranted in the common room of the Benatar, "just because he's the boss of this team here on Earth, doesn't mean he can order him around like I'm one of his minions!"

"No, but apparently his second in command can," Kraglin reminded him. Quill flinched at the mention of Carol, but Kraglin immediately changed the subject: "Pete, we have another problem now," he said with urgency.

"Yeah, I know," Quill sighed, "Thanos is coming-"

Kraglin shook his head: "No, I mean another - _other_ problem! Gamora's gone!"

All the blood drained from Quill's face: "...what?" he whispered.

"She took the pod and flew off," Kraglin explained, "She's gone."

Quill looked down: "Oh, shit... Is she really...?" he asked.

"I think so," Kraglin replied, "She's going to Nebula..."

In that same moment, the Benatar's tender-pod was exiting Earth's atmosphere and heading for the first jump point on the course for a distant world, planet Maarin.

It's only occupant gritted her teeth.

_I'm coming, sister. Please, hold on._

***

Hela tapped a perfectly polished nail on the armrest of her chair. Her eyes were narrowed and her expression troubled.

Thanos had just left, heading for Titan, and he had taken the human girl with him. Hela didn't even want to think what he was doing to her.

This was not part of the plan. Right now, Thanos was probably torturing that prisoner, trying to break her spirit and make her into his slave. And what would that accomplish?

Hela clenched her fist. She remembered the argument she had with Thanos right before he left for Titan, and suddenly, she regretted not voicing her disappointment more loudly.

Torturing that girl, making her a slave... it wasn't only useless. It was _wrong._ It was a page straight from Odin's book, and Hela gritted her teeth at the reminder.

Thanos was continuously deviating from the plan. From _his own_ plan.

Because that was the truth: balance was Hela's destiny, but Thanos was the one doing the planning. Not only that: he was also the one doing all the work.

Shouldn't Hela be the one who had to do it?

It had been eons since they had first met. His drive, his absolute belief and faith in his goal had immediately caught Hela's attention. But lately, she found herself doubting him more and more.

How could Thanos know he was doing things the right way? More importantly, how did he even know his very concept, his core ideal, was the right one?

He was planning to erase half of all sentient life in all the Universe, and then rule over it to make sure it wouldn't grow back into overpopulation ever again. The first part of his plan required the Infinity Stones, so he could erase half the Universe all at once.

The second part required her.

She would be his queen. She would be the one to maintain the new status quo. She would be the one to keep life under control... by dispensing death. When one population grew too much, Hela would... _downsize it,_ to a more manageable dimension.

Of course, she had made it clear that she wouldn't just be his attack dog. She had had enough of that with Odin. No, she would rule the Universe as Thanos'equal. She would never simply be someone's weapon ever again.

Thanos had been quick to agree, lavishing her with reassurances that he would never even entertain the thought of holding a position of power over her.

Hela had been inclined to believe him. After all, she was in his debt for freeing her from her confinement.

It had been Thanos who had killed Odin, using the Soul Stone.

The old bastard was hiding on somewhere on Midgard, and couldn't be found. Thanos had had to use the Stone practically from the other side of the Universe. It had taken several years from it to find Odin's life force, latch onto it and slowly erode it until he finally collapsed, but it had worked. In the end, Odin had died, breaking the spell that held Hela confined. Not only that: after that cursed Surtur had destroyed Asgard, it had been Thanos to find her adrift in the void of space. In return, he had only asked for her gratitude... and her help.

But was that right? Was that really what that prophecy meant?

She was supposed to _bring_ balance, not just _maintain_ it.

She wasn't convinced. She had meant every word of what she'd said to Thanos: balance was _her_ destiny, not his.

But maybe she was going about it the wrong way.

She wasn't sure. She didn't know. Her mind was going around in circles, and it was starting to annoy her. Because she had to decide quickly.

She didn't have much time left: Thanos already had three Infinity Stones, and the Black Order will soon bring him the other three. And then, he would be too powerful for anybody to stop.

She had to make sure this was the right course of action. Because soon, she would be stuck with it, whether she liked it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Marvel, Sif wasn't in Ragnarok because she has a quality that appears to be extremely rare among Asgardians: a serviceable brain.
> 
> When she saw all the statues of Loki and Odin attending theatrical plays commemorating his fallen son - that he had never spared a second glance to when he was alive, Sif started to smell the rat. Not keen on losing the throne - and quite possibly his life as well, Loki banished her before she could nail him.
> 
> That is how, in my story, she ended up on Vanaheim where she eventually faced Surtur. Also, she's pissed with Thor because when HE was banished, she immediately jumped to his rescue, but he clearly couldn't be bothered to return the favour. Add to that his complete obliviousness to her previous courting attempts (as seen in The Dark World), and Sif has finally lost her patience.


	14. Together, or not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony, Friday and Peter discuss their next move with Strange. On Earth, the Avengers and the Guardians leave for Wakanda.
> 
> Well, most of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was difficult to write down. think one of the most difficult I've ever written for sure, and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it, but I just know if I try and revise it again I'm just gonna ruin it. Silver lining, I have the next one already planned out, and it should be a little smoother... I hope ^^'.
> 
> Enjoy!

Silence was reigning absolute aboard Supergiant's spaceship, after its twin had exploded right in front of it.

They had cornered Maw, and he had decided to take his own life rather than admit defeat. Thanos really had to be the stuff of nightmares, if suicide was a better choice than returning to him empty-handed...

"I don't buy it," Tony said after a few minutes. His voice was soft, thoughtful, but in the all-encompassing silence it sounded thunderous.

Strange, Peter and Friday all turned to him. Tony's armor had disappeared, all the nanites having retracted in a chest-piece around the main arc reactor, and he was still standing in front of the central console with his arms crossed, glaring at the 3D holograms that were still displaying the wreckage of Maw's ship scattered around theirs.

"You don't buy it?" Strange parroted.

"That guy didn't strike me as a quitter," Tony elaborated, "I don't think he just up and killed himself..."

"You think he ran away somehow?" Strange asked, not convinced: "His ship blew up..."

"Yeah. And what better way to cover his tracks?" Tony said, "Nothing distracts an opponent like a big explosion to the face..."

"If you're right, he's going to come at us again," Strange replied in a slightly unsettled tone. He really wasn't keen on being tortured again: "We have to go back. Now!"

Tony turned away: "Yeah. Now he wants to run. Great plan," he scoffed.

"No, I want to protect the Stone!" Strange protested.

Tony turned back to him: "Oh, really? And what about Maximoff?" he countered.

"Maximoff? What about her?" Strange asked confused.

Tony walked up to him: "She's your responsibility too, isn't she? If Maw ran away, he could very well have taken Maximoff with him! Are you ready to leave the Scarlet Witch as Maw's prisoner? You know how powerful she is. What if she allies herself with Thanos, or he and Maw turn her against us by force?"

Strange didn't answer immediately.

Friday knew that was a legitimate concern: having to fight the witch on top of Thanos and all his other minions would be a problem. Boss certainly didn't want to deal with her again, and nobody could blame him for that, after what she'd put him through.

Still, they had Strange. He could effectively counter her powers, if it came to that. He had been keeping her at bay for the last three years, after all.

"You know, I'm not exactly in a rush to go save Whiny Nazimoff," she finally muttered to herself. It wasn't even personal... not entirely, at least.

Maw could be anywhere at this point. Maximoff being turned against them was a very real and scary possibility, but they didn't even know where to start looking for her.

Strange seemed to think along those lines too: "We don't know if Maw took Wanda," he replied, "We don't even know if he's even still alive! And most importantly, even if he _is_ still alive and _has_ taken Wanda, we don't know where he-"

The doctor stopped in his tracks, his eyes momentarily growing wider, as if he had just remembered something really important.

"What is it, Doctor?" prompted Friday.

"Xandar..." Strange said.

"What? Xander?" Peter asked, "Like Vin Diesel in xXx?"

Strange sighed and pursed his lips, ignoring Peter's question but starting to explain: "I don't know if Maw is still alive, but if he is, I think I know where he's going next..."

Tony turned his full attention to him: "How?" he asked.

"Wanda attacked him with her powers and saw into his head. She saw a planet called Xandar. There's an Infinity Stone there, the Power Stone," Strange explained.

Everybody was stunned speechless for a moment. Then Tony spoke up: "It's one of the next targets..." he mused.

"Probably," Strange agreed, "Doctor Bannner said when Thanos attacked the Asgardians he already had two Stones, Soul and Space. He didn't have the Power Stone yet."

"So they will attack planet Xandar soon," Friday reasoned.

"What do we do then?" asked Peter, excited at the prospect of seeing an alien world, but Strange immediately cut him off at the legs.

"We turn this ship around and head home as fast as we can," the sorcerer said as if it was obvious, "I don't care where they'll attack next, we have to get ready for when they attack us again. You can fly us home, right?" he asked Tony.

But Tony didn't reply. He was still staring out in space from the big, central viewport of the ship, past the 3D holograms of the main console, as if lost in his own thoughts.

"Stark!" Strange called again.

"Yeah?" Tony said, finally turning to him.

"Can you get us home?" the wizard asked, growing impatient.

Tony heaved a sigh: "Yeah, I heard you..." he absentmindedly replied to Strange, while still considering his options.

When they were attacked in New York, the Avengers Compound was attacked too. He didn't know if the others had managed to counter the attack.

He didn't know if Vision had survived...

...and unfortunately, he couldn't afford to not consider the worst case scenario.

If Thanos' lackeys had been successful, the Mind Stone was already lost. Vision was already lost. He didn't want to think about it, but it was a possibility.

"I'm just thinking... maybe going back isn't the best choice," he muttered in the end.

"What!?" Strange snapped.

"Earth has already been attacked. Xandar hasn't," Tony said gravely, "and when they attacked Earth, they didn't come only for the Time Stone..."

Friday looked worriedly at him. She knew what he was thinking: "are you saying that Vision..." she uttered, not even managing to finish the phrase.

Tony nodded at her, stone-faced: "Even if he's still alive, I don't know if we'd make it back in time to help him." he said, despair and fatality clear in his voice.

Strange looked at him as if he'd grown a second head: "And so?" he asked, completely nonplussed, "You're not seriously considering going to Xandar now, right?" he asked.

Tony's expression, if possible, hardened even more: "Let me check something," he said, walking up to the ship's main console. He fiddled with the controls for a while, until he managed to bring up a hologram of some sort of chart. A few more swipes, and he found what he was looking for.

Coordinates for planet Xandar. They were already saved in the ship's navigation system.

"Bingo," Tony said mirthlessly: "Planet Xandar. Sixteen jump points from our position. And Earth..." he continued, pausing for a moment to fiddle with the controls again: "Earth is twenty-five jump points in almost the opposite direction."

"So we'd arrive on Xandar faster than we could get back to Earth," Friday surmised, "I understand that, but maybe we could still come back in time," she said, hoping to convince him.

Tony shook his head: "We can't know that, Friday. These are the facts: we simply have better chances to make it in time to assist against an attack for the Power Stone than to come back to help on Earth..."

"But Boss, Vision might need our help!" Friday protested.

She didn't think she had ever seen Tony so unsure about something ever before, as he lowered his head and replied to her: "I know," he breathed, "We have to make a decision. We either go back to Earth and hope we make it in time to protect Vision in the off-chance they haven't already taken the Mind Stone, or go to Xandar and try to help protect the Power Stone."

Silence took over for a good few minutes. In the end, Peter was the one who broke it: "We know they haven't attacked Xandar yet, and we're closer to it than to Earth, so it looks like going to Xandar would be our best option," he admitted.

Friday still wasn't convinced. She looked even more unsure than Tony: "Vision might need us..." she insisted.

"Friday, this is bigger than Vision," Tony replied, understanding but firm, "this is bigger than us, bigger than Earth, even. We have to-"

He stopped. His voice was breaking. He took a deep, shaky breath before continuing: "We can't afford to lose this battle," he said simply.

Friday looked like she wanted to protest some more, but she lowered her head in defeat and kept quiet.

She wanted to go back to Earth. She knew it wasn't the wise decision, or even the logical one, but it was what she wanted to do. And looking at Boss' defeated expression, she knew he wanted it too.

They were potentially leaving Vision and the Avengers to fend for themselves.

But it was true, they couldn't go back and help. If the attack at the Compound had been successful and Vision was truly... gone, then Xandar was the last chance they had at stopping Thanos.

In the meantime, the Titan could have taken the Reality Stone too. They didn't know where that was, maybe Thanos already had it. If they returned to Earth and let him go to Xandar and take the Power Stone as well, he would come to Earth with five Stones out of six. Then they'd have no chance at stopping him from completing his plan anymore.

Strange looked at them all as if they were stubborn children: "Have you all gone crazy?" he asked, "Under no circumstances can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos! I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here-"

"No!" Tony replied crossly, walking up into the doctor's personal space, "it's _you_ who doesn't understand that Thanos has been inside my head for seven years, ever since he sent an army to New York, and now he's back! And I don't know what to do! Do you think it's easy for me? For _us?_ Leaving our family on Earth under attack to go fight somewhere else? But if we have a slightly better chance on Xandar, then we should use it! After all, we're gonna need every possible advantage we can get, Doctor," he seethed, "Don't you think?"

Strange's expression seemed set in stone: "Are you sure about this, Stark?" he asked, "Other people would choose differently when one of theirs is at stake..."

Yes. _Other_ _people_ would choose differently. The comparison was not lost on Friday, and she was sure Boss could see it too.

If Barnes had been in danger and potentially dead, Rogers would have thrown logic to the wind and gone back for him before immediately. It was cruelly ironic, the situation they were in now. But this was the right thing to do.

"I know," Boss replied to Strange, "but this isn't just about one of mine," he said, giving the doctor a hard look, "And the Avengers are powerful. Carol Danvers is amazing, Rhodey is awesome, and all the others are great too. If Vision is still hanging in there, this time I'll have to trust them to look out for him. We could follow Rogers' asinine school of thought, go back and 'lose together', but we would still lose. And this time, we _can't_ lose."

Friday closed her eyes, trying to convince herself of Boss' words. It was true, it was the logical decision.

Strange finally seemed to relax his shoulders slightly: "Alright, Stark," he conceded at last, "We go to Xandar. But you have to understand... If I'm gonna have to choose between saving the gem and saving you, or your daughter, or your spider-mini-me, I will not hesitate to let any of you die. I can't, because the fate of the Universe depends on it."

Boss nodded gravely: "Nice. Good, moral compass," he said, patting the doctor's arm, "We're straight," he added, moving to the main console again to get the ship moving.

Friday sighed as she looked at the stars out of the main porthole in front of them.

It was the logical decision.

***

"So you're leaving?"

Carol's question sounded like an accusation to Quill's ears. Probably because it was.

"Gamora is walking straight into a trap," he replied as he fiddled with the controls of the Benatar, running through all the pre-flight checks, "I have to help her."

"Do you at least have a plan?" Carol wanted to know then.

"Yes," Quill replied, "Find Gamora and Nebula, kill everyone who tries to stop us, and get the hell out of there."

"Yeah, no," Carol scoffed, "That's an _intention,_ not a plan. How exactly are you going to keep your girlfriend from walking into a trap if you just walk in the same trap right after her?"

Peter flinched, but recovered a little when he saw the determination in Kraglin's eyes: "at least I have someone to watch my back," he countered, though still not fully convinced.

"Yes _._ Some _one._ As in,  _one_ person," Carol countered.

Quill flinched again, and looked around the room. The other Guardians were all looking at him with various degrees of concern etched on their faces. Even Rocket was unusually silent, avoiding his snarky remarks and looking at Quill in silence and understanding.

They all knew the real battle was here. On this planet. It could very well be the universe's last stand.

But he couldn't leave Gamora to her destiny. He just couldn't.

"Kraglin and I wouldn't be the ones that tip the odds of this battle anyway. And I can't leave Gamora and Nebula alone," he insisted, "If anything, _they_ would be useful against Thanos. They have inside knowledge about him and his armies and they're both super strong, much stronger than Kraglin and I combined. We have to do this."

"You're gonna get yourselves killed," Carol stated, rolling her eyes. "You don't know what you're up against. There could be Thanos' entire army waiting for you on Maarin, and there's only two of you!"

It was true. Peter knew this was a stupid idea. But then again, he was all about stupid ideas: "I don't know if Nebula will be in fighting condition, but Gamora will be there too," he said, "so there will be at least three of us."

"Four."

The new voice made them all turn.

Behind them stood Pepper Potts, clad in her Rescue armor. Her helmet was down and her eyes were the picture of determination.

"Miss Potts?" Carol called incredulously.

"If you're going to fight the same guys Tony and Friday are fighting, then I want in," the redhead explained.

Silence followed. Pepper turned to Carol and explained: "I wouldn't be of much help here," she said pragmatically, "My armor doesn't have War Machine's weapons or Iron Man and Lady Iron's sheer firepower. Also, I'm not trained and I'm not an Avenger. So I would only slow you down the next time the Black Order comes. But Mr. Quill and Mr. Kraglin are attempting a rescue mission... and that, maybe I can help with. I can try and rescue Gamora's sister and fly away while they deal with the bad guys. Rescue is my codename, after all," she half-heartedly joked, looking at Quill expectantly.

The former outlaw rubbed the back of his neck: "I mean... We could definitely use more help... but why would you do it?" he asked.

"My fiancé and my daughter were stuck on one of Thanos' spaceships when they retreated from Earth," Pepper told him, "and Thanos has your friend too. If I help you save your friend, would you help me rescue my family?"

Quill seemed to be at a loss of words. He turned to Kraglin for help.

The other Ravager nodded, a bit uncertainly: "Them Avengers say this guy what's stuck with the Black Order's a pretty tough guy," he reasoned, "We might gon' need his help too... I say we take 'er with us..."

Quill acquiesced with a nod. Pepper released the breath she had been holding: "Thank you, she breathed.

Carol gave her a look: "We might need 'rescue' here on Earth too, you know?" she said disapprovingly, "The fate of the entire Universe is at stake here! You would be-"

"Colonel, half my family is out there!" Pepper snapped, interrupting her.

Carol's mouth snapped shut.

"Tony and Friday are out there. Karen too. And Peter... we might not be related, but Tony loves him like a son. They are in space, fighting the same people that have set a trap for Quill's girlfriend," Pepper stated, calmer this time, but not less determined: "I am done playing the helpless girl who stays at home praying her loved ones aren't killed in the war. This time, I'm gonna fight too."

Carol knew she should reply, try to convince her to stay, but she couldn't find it within herself to do so. After all, not wanting to be the stay-at-home girl was one of the reasons she herself had joined the Air Force, way back when.

"I understand the Universe is on the line," Pepper continued, "but the only reason I asked Tony to build me this suit of armor was so I could protect my family. Not the Universe, just _my family._ I am no superhero; protecting the Universe is not something I can do. But I'll be damned if I don't do all I can to protect my family. After all... _they_ are my Universe."

Carol relented completely.

How could she talk this woman out of going with Quill and Kraglin when, in her shoes, she would have done the exact same thing?

"Does Rhodey agree?" she asked instead.

Pepper didn't have to answer, as Rhodey himself stepped onto the loading ramp of the Benatar, coming to stand behind Pepper: "Bold of you to assume I could disagree with her, Danvers," he said, his tone strained but fond.

Carol looked at him and said nothing. Rhodey looked... resigned. He was worried for his family, of course, but his eyes told her that there was no convincing Potts to change her mind.

Carol took a deep breath. She looked first at Quill, then at Kraglin, then at the other Guardians: "So you're all okay with this?" she asked.

"We would all go with them, but we know the real battle is here," the big guy, Drax, replied, "and if Thanos is really coming to this planet, at least I will have a chance at finally exacting revenge for my wife and daughter," he said, gritting his teeth.

"Hell yeah," the raccoon added, "We'll make him wish he never messed with us!" he stated with a slightly demented smile, patting the massive gun slung across his back.

"I am Groot!" the humanoid tree exclaimed.

Carol furrowed her brow: "What?" she asked.

"He said we are ready to kick names and take ass!" the bug girl explained, gritting her teeth in a way that was supposed to be menacing, but actually made her look like a Cocker Spaniel trying to growl.

Rhodey turned to Carol with a questioning look. She just raised her eyebrows and shook her head giving a helpless shrug, just as put off as he was.

Things moved quickly after that. Kraglin and Quill finished prepping their ship, while the rest of the Guardians returned to the Avengers Compound. Only Carol was left to see the Benatar off.

"Hey, Quill!" Carol called as Kraglin started the engines. He immediately turned, standing at the top of the loading ramp.

"Don't try any funny business with Miss Potts," she warned, "You really don't want to be on her fiancé's bad side. Or her own, for that matter."

Quill spluttered: "I'm literally leaving to go save my girlfriend!" he protested, "How can you insinuate that I would try anything with another woman? Do you really think so little of me!?"

"Yes," Carol deadpanned.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, Quill's insulted glare bearing into Carol's suspicious and warning one.

Quill folded first.

"I'm leaving," he declared in the end, turning away as the ramp of the Benatar closed. A few seconds later, the ship was taking off.

***

"See, that's why I never wanted to come back to this planet," Peter muttered to himself, getting to the pilot's room and sitting down next to Kraglin. Behind him, Pepper took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

She was taking off for alien planet, with two guys she didn't know, to take on a mad man and his army. A few weeks ago - hell, even just two days ago - it would have sounded completely and utterly ridiculous.

But if that was her only chance to find Tony, Friday and Karen, then so be it.

"So, Nebula, huh?" Quill asked his friend, "You sure like a challenge, don't you?"

"You're one to talk," the other man, Kraglin, muttered nervously.

Quill shrugged, conceding to the point, before turning to her: "You alright back there?" he asked.

Pepper steeled herself. She was not gonna leave her family alone. Not this time.

"I'm alright," she answered.

***

The two Quinjets were tearing through the skies over the Atlantic ocean, heading for the African continent.

Steve was sat in the cargo hold of the leading jet, a million thoughts going through his mind. He had hoped to be able to sit with Bucky and try once again to explain why he had omitted to tell him about Wanda's past, but the other super soldier had cut him off at the legs, asking Rhodey to fly in the other Quinjet.

It had left Steve completely stunned: the second jet was piloted by that arrogant and disrespectful woman, Danvers, who was carrying all her freaky alien friends to their destination, plus Vision, who was being tended to by Bruce and Doctor Cho. Yet Bucky had agreed - had _insisted,_ actually, on going with them.

And, uncharacteristically, Rhodey had agreed.

Steve didn't understand why. All the rest of Steve's team was there with him, in the same Quinjet with the Avengers.

Sam and Scott were silent, and had their eyes down on the floor, whereas Clint was glaring daggers at pretty much everyone in the aircraft. He wasn't speaking either, but Steve could see that Clint really was itching for a fight.

To be honest, he was too. Not only to prove his worth and finally show the UN that he was aevery bit the hero that the world remembered, but also to teach the Avengers - that Danvers woman especially - that he sould be treated with respect.

He had been simply appalled at how they all behaved around him. Even after three years, they still believed him a criminal. Everybody either looked at him with disgust and treated him with cold dismissal, or flat out insulted him.

This had to stop. He was tired of them throwing mud on Captain America's image.

His eyes darted involuntarily to the shield - _his_ shield - stripped of its iconic paintjob and propped against the seat across from him, where the Asgardian woman was sitting.

Steve had never even seen her before. She was Thor's friend, if he heard correctly.

_Some friend,_ he thought.

Thor was understandably desperate, after losing his planet and half of his people. Even more so when he learned that Doctor Foster had been killed in the attack at the Compound. Steve really felt sorry for him.

But that broad had just turned the cold shoulder on him. Even now Thor was eyeing her longingly, his expression lost, but the woman was sitting cross armed and with her eyes closed, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge him.

Such a despicable person didn't deserve his shield.

Steve shook his head. He briefly noted that the Asian monk - Wong, was it? - was in almost the same pose as the Asgardian: he was sitting Indian style on the floor, his hands in his lap with the fingers intertwined and his eyes closed, as if he was meditating.

As if the world being in danger was none of his business.

The policeman with the knockoff Ant Man suit, Jim... something, was slowly and nervously pacing up and down the jet. He clearly wasn't trained for what was coming. They might have given him a suit, but he couldn't fool Steve. He clearly saw this guy was no Avengers material at all.

What kind of people had Tony gotten involved with?

How low had the Avengers sunk?

He was almost tempted to voice his disapproval - again - but then his eyes landed on Rhodey and Natasha. They were sitting close to the cockpit of the jet, eyeing him and Clint respectively, as if they were considering murdering them and throw their bodies into the ocean below. Sharon was piloting the jet, but Steve knew that she would probably look at him in the exact same way if she could.

Steve looked down. At least, Pepper was not there. If she were, she would no doubt be a member of the thousand-yard-stare club.

She had left with two of the aliens to go look for Tony in space, if Steve had understood correctly. Steve was grateful for her absence, although he still didn't understand how she could abandon her post like that. She had an Iron Man-class suit of armor! Why wasn't she there with them, fighting at their side?

Steve winced as he remembered Rhodey's reply when he had asked him why he hadn't made her stay:

_One, she's not an Avenger, I can't tell her what to do. Two, she doesn't have any combat training and in the next fight she could do more harm than good. Three, she wants to find Tony, and you of all people should understand her reasons. And four, if you badmouth Pepper again I will shove my armored fist up your ass and make my repulsors shoot out of your mouth,_ the Colonel had threatened.

Steve sighed, looking at his teammates once again. Soon, he would get his chance of proving himself.

And then, no more disrespect would be directed his way.

***

Mantis had been staring at the red man on the stretcher since the aircraft had taken off. Never before had she encountered someone like him. This was the first time she could feel emotions without touching the person who was feeling them.

This man was in pain - which was quite understandable given the gaping wounds in his abdomen - but despite the gravity of the injury, the pain was pittle more than a dull ache, overshadowed by the positive emotions he was projecting: love and protectiveness, for his planet and its people. Camaraderie and friendship with the people in the two planes right now, and a heartwarming gentleness she had never felt before.

She felt drawn to him. Like she wanted to know him better.

Another man and a woman, both humans, had been fussing around him for a while. Apparently they were his doctors, but somehow they couldn't cure him of his wounds. Actually, it seemed that this was the reason they were moving to another place: the red man had an Infinity Stone embedded in his forehead, and had been targeted by Thanos' servants. They had wounded him and his friends couldn't cure him, so they were moving him to someone who could.

At one point the woman leaned over the stretcher: "Do you want to try and sit up?" she asked the red man, who nodded.

She and the other doctor tried to help him gently get up into a sitting position, but at some point the red man let out a pained yelp.

Mantis immediately leapt to her feet and hurried over, without thinking. They eyed her warily for a second, but then they scooted over, silently accepting her help.

When she finally touched him, the emotions she had been feeling, the emotions he had been projecting, were intensified tenfold. It was almost overwhelming, but not in a bad way. It made her antennae tickle.

They gently managed to pull him upright, and the red man looked at her: "Thank you..." he said, stopping short.

"My name is Mantis," she replied, trying to smile in a less awkward way, like Drax had taught her. From the slight furrow of the man's brow, she still didn't have that completely figured out.

Still, he didn't seem to mind: "Thank you, Mantis," he repeated, smiling back, "I am Vision."

She felt giddy.

_Vision._

What an interesting name.

***

Much like Titan itself, Planet Maarin was a testament to the Almighty Thanos' quest.

Another world where life had grown and grown, completely uncontrolled, until the planet had reached the breaking point.

On Maarin, damnation had come in the form of a virus. An extremely aggressive pathogen that, in almost no time, had completely wiped out the entirety of the planet's vegetable life. With no more plants to close the food chain and most importantly to produce new oxygen, the animal life had soon withered and perished as well.

Cull Obsidian exited his Q-ship and stepped on the desolate, dead planet. Looking around, there was almost no sign that this world had once been filled with life. The air was almost unbreathable, the oxygen levels dangerously lower than what would have been necessary.

This empty, dead world was going to be a fitting grave for Gamora and her pointless quest to protect life at all costs.

He returned to the ship. Waiting for Gamora out in the open would be stupid: it would leave him open for a sneak attack and, if she took long enough to come, she would find him out of breath because of the low oxygen concentration. Much better to be protected while he waited.

And while he was waiting, he might as well pay his prisoner a visit.

He went to Nebula's cell and looked down at her prostrated form. Her body had been recomposed, but most of her nervous connection had been left severed. The order had come from Thanos himself: he wanted her alive... but barely.

Father had found that he liked her pliant and unable to move.

Obsidian sneered in disgust. Nebula could have risen to greatness had she not allowed their sister to sway her.

As she finally saw him, Nebula smiled, letting out a breathless laugh. "Something funny?" Cull asked.

"Your arm," Nebula replied.

Obsidian looked down at his left arm, the one the Asgardian woman had sliced off. The stump had been connected to a bionic appendage with a concealed blade.

"I'd tell you you'll get used to it... but I don't know if you will live long enough," Nebula continued.

"You really think Gamora stands a chance against me?" Obsidian scoffed, "I will crush her, and all your friends!"

"See, that's where you're wrong..." Nebula smiled evilly, "They aren't friends. They are family."

Obsidian scoffed and turned around, walking away. They could be Siamese twins, as far as he was concerned. He would kill them all regardless.

"And that's why you'll lose. Because together, they are unbeatable." Nebula concluded.

Obsidian turned for a moment, but didn't reply.

He walked away, letting the doors of the cell block close behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Pepper is a little different than MCU Pepper. Ever since she got her suit, she became even more protective of her family, and that's what makes her throw herself at the first chance she gets to go find Tony and Friday.
> 
> Also, Planet Maarin's story is not something I invented: in the comics, it's a dead world where the atmosphere has long since become unsustainable, and the only form of life left are some robots built by the old civilization prior to their extinction. In my story there are no robots, though. It's a completely dead planet, just like Titan.


	15. Looming Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers arrive in Wakanda, and they are about to face the fight of their lives. In space, Gamora reaches Planet Maarin, and Doctor Strange has a revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are. The Battle of Wakanda is about to start. As is the Skirmish on Maarin. For Xandar, we'll have to wait a little more... but it's coming.

"Carol, follow us. We're here," Rhodey said over the radio.

The second Quinjet immediately corrected its course and placed itself at the leading jet's four o'clock. Rhodey came to stand beside Sharon, looking out of the windshield over her shoulder.

"Drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0," he ordered calmly.

"I hope you're right," Sharon answered, "or we'll land a lot faster than you want to..."

"Well, these are the coordinates," the Colonel replied, "Right, Rogers?"

The super soldier frowned at the airman's jab, but kept quiet.

So the Avengers knew.

Of course they knew.

Leave it to Tony to uncover a State secret in the most technologically advanced country in the world. He wondered how the billionaire had managed not to cause a diplomatic incident. And also why he hadn't immediately leapt into action to punish the Wakandan people for the irredeemable sin of standing against him and his Accords.

As the jet passed through the holographic camouflage resembling a forest, that hid Birnin Zana from the world's satellites and all sorts of other prying eyes, Steve smirked: maybe Tony _had_ leapt into action, but he hadn't been able to do anything. Steve hadn't heard anything about UN sanctions against Wakanda, or any other possible 'punishment' inflicted upon the Afican country by the international community. And he had been keeping himself informed in his years in jail, dreading the long-term consequences of a restricting document such as the Accords.

Consequences that had never come.

He was man enough to admit that he had handled the entire Accords situation badly. But he still believed that his sentence to fifty years, as well as what all the others had gotten, had been for the most part just a power play by those damn paper-pushers.

He shook his head, clearing his mind from those poisonous thoughts.

He was kind of looking forward to seeing T'Challa again.

The young king had granted him and his team asylum in Wakanda until they had been forced to leave when that madman Ross had attacked Clint's family, and Steve would always be grateful for that. He would have preferred that T'Challa had allowed them to come back afterwards, but the king of Wakanda had refused to shelter them further.

Maybe _that_ had been Tony going after T'Challa: maybe he had forced the Wakandan king to stop helping them, threatening to rat him out to the United Nations.

That thought didn't really sit well with Steve, but be it as it may, at least T'Challa had understood his point in the end and seen reason. It was more than Tony - and many others - could say for themselves.

Hopefully, seeing the king of the country that was hosting them treat Steve with the respect he deserved, the Avengers would finally wisen up and drop their misplaced hostility as well.

***

"The Kingsguard and the Dora Milaje have been alerted," Okoye reported.

"And the Border Tribe?" T'Challa asked.

"Those that are left," the General of the Dora Milaje answered wearily.

T'Challa eyed her sympathetically. Killmonger... _N'Jadaka,_ had come like a hurricane in a quiet summer day, and Wakanda had not come out of the whole ordeal unscathed. He still felt some heaviness in his heart when he thought of W'Kabi, and he was almost ashamed of it. W'Kabi was his friend, but he was Okoye's husband. When he had turned and allied himself with N'Jadaka, she had suffered a lot more than T'Challa had.

"Send word to the Jabari as well," the king ordered, hoping to distract his friend and sister in arms from her lost lover, "M'Baku likes a good fight."

"Yes, my King," Okoye replied, all the strength returning to her voice. Just then, Nakia approached.

"My King," she saluted, crossing her arms in front of her chest and bowing her head in the traditional gesture, "The Avengers have arrived."

T'Challa sighed.

The Avengers. Colonel Rhodes and his team, along with Rogers and his rogue faction. He was tempted to excuse himself and send a messenger to meet with them, telling them he was busy with the War Council. But he had already shirked his responsibilities for way too long.

One of them was in dire need of help: according to Shuri, who had been briefed by her colleagues of the Accords Central Committee as well as the Avengers themselves, the Vision had been gravely wounded in the first alien attack at the Avengers Compound.

This was where he could redeem himself in the eyes of Earth's protectors. If they could help the Vision, he would do everything in his power to make sure the android received all the help he could get.

He only hoped Rogers didn't cause another fracas. One could never know when the former Captain (was he ever a true Captain at all at some point in his life?) could decide to be troublesome.

"Are all of them here?" T'Challa asked Nakia.

"All of them, minus the Starks and Spiderman, who were trapped on one of the hostile spaceships in New York, and the Wasp, who suffered a grave injury during the battle," the former spy responded dutifully, "but the remaining Avengers have also brought other people to the fight. Some of them are said to be aliens..." she said, an undertone of incertainty coloring her voice.

T'Challa could relate. Aliens were not exactly a novelty anymore, but them showing up out of the blue like that was indeed odd. Still, the Avengers had proven time and again that they knew what they were doing. If they vouched for these extraterrestrial beings, T'Challa would defer to them.

"Send word to my mother and sister," he told Nakia, "I am going to meet the guests."

Nakia saluted him again and left after giving him a fond smile. As T'Challa and Okoye turned to go to the landing pads, the General spoke again: "When you said you were going to open Wakanda to the rest of the world, this is not what I imagined," she said.

"And what did you imagine?" T'Challa wanted to know.

"The Olympics," Okoye shrugged, "Maybe even a Starbucks."

T'Challa smiled. He appreciated her attempt at talking shop and get his mind off things, however little as was possible in the current situation. But his expression became serious again as he watched the two Avengers Quinjets descend on the landing pads.

***

"Should we bow?" Bruce asked Helen as Carol landed the jet.

"Well, yeah," Helen answered as if it was obvious, "He's a king..."

Just then, the rear ramp lowered, and Rocket and the other Guardians started to file out. Vision was next, supported by Mantis. Helen and Bruce were last, right after Barnes and Danvers.

"So, this is the most advanced place on this rock, huh?" the talking raccoon - Rocket - commented, "I expected a bit better..."

"I am Groot!" the walking tree replied excitedly.

"Dude, don't show so much enthusiam!" the raccoon chided, "I've just sassed them!"

As... whatever that was, was going on, Rhodey and the others joined them from the other Quinjet. In front of them, a young man dressed in a regal-looking attire was walking up to them, flanked by six bald women who all looked like they could give Natasha a run for her money. Bruce immediately recognized the man as King T'Challa from the briefing files he had been given.

Rogers came to stand in front of Rhodes and smiled at the newcomers, confident and a little smug: "Seems like I'm always thanking you for something," he smiled, offering his hand to the approaching monarch, as if he wanted to slap his acquaintance to the king in the Avengers' faces.

But things didn't go as Rogers had intended.

The reaction was immediate: two of the six guards all immediately stepped in front of Rogers and crossed their spears, blocking him away from the king and leveling him with a scathing glare. Rogers looked at them, confused and angry, and then mortified as the king walked past him without even turning his way. Bruce saw Natasha smirk at the display, while the murderous expression that these days seemed permanently stuck on Barton's face became even more pronounced.

Rocket scoffed: "Aww. He wants them to be friends and they're not interested," he said.

Incredible how an alien antrophomorphic mammal had immediately understood the entire situation.

The king, never deigning to even turn his eyes to the disgraced super soldier, sidestepped Rogers' team as well and approached the Avengers.

"Colonel Rhodes," he greeted, extending his hand.

War Machine's right gauntlet peeled back from Rhodey's hand as he shook the king's: "Your Majesty," he replied.

"I have been thoroughly briefed about the attacks in New York and at the Avengers Compound," the king said, "We all pray for your friends. They fought well and were able to buy us precious time. Their work with the Avengers is invaluable, and we all hope to have them back soon."

The king's tone was a little forced, as was Rhodey's reply: "Thank you, your Majesty," the Colonel said, "They are all very hard to put down. Hopefully, they'll all be fine."

"Of course," the king replied. To Bruce, all the pleasantries sounded fake, fabricated. Rhodey especially was speaking with barely concealed hostility.

Given Rogers' show as they disembarked, it was clear to Bruce that King T'Challa had been on Rogers' side of the Civil War at some point, and that didn't really sit well with Rhodes. But he didn't delve much on it as the king turned and caught his eye.

Bruce immediately dropped in a bow.

"What are you doing?" asked Helen, a mixture between amused and embarrassed.

"We do not do that here," the king was quick to assure him, also with an amused smirk. Bruce shot Helen a glare, and was answered with a shit-eating grin.

"So, how big of an assault can we expect?" T'Challa asked.

It was Wong who answered: "Quite a big one," he said, "Thanos' underlings are extremely powerful, and they have entire armies at their disposal."

"And they're hellbent on pleasing their master," Carol added, "According to a reliable source, disappointing Thanos is worse than death for them, so they have nothing to lose."

T'Challa nodded pensively, his lips pursed as he turned around and started to walk towards the main building. Everybody took that as their cue to follow.

"Wakanda has never been invaded in ten thousand years," the king said conversationally, almost as if speaking to himself.

"But in these ten thousand years, Wakanda has never faced threats coming from another world," a woman answered, approaching the king.

Everybody turned to her. She was wearing regal looking clothes and had an air of wiseness and importance to her. A woman accustomed to command.

"Avengers," T'Challa called, "meet my mother, Queen Ramonda."

"It's an honor, Your Majesty," Rhodey answered for everybody, nodding solemnly to her. The queen answered with a nod on her own.

"I understand that you came here to seek help for your wounded friend?" she asked then

"Yes, Your Majesty," Bruce replied, trying to wrap his head around the fact that the queen had seen all the aliens there, especially the bipedal raccoon and the humanoid tree, and hadn't given them a second thought as if she was perfectly used to people like them: "Vision is made of vibranium, and not only is that hard to find outside Wakanda, but it's also a mostly unknown material..."

Again, the queen nodded, walking up to Vision himself. She seemed to stare into his eyes for a moment before she spoke:

"Ultron intended for you to destroy the world, but you chose a different path..." she told him.

"I suppose I've had a better education," Vision answered, shifting slightly into Mantis' supporting arms.

The queen smiled: "You don't let others define who you are," she observed, "not even _what_ you are, defines who you are," she added thoughtfully, giving the Mind Stone in his forehead a significant look.

Vision smiled at her, and she returned the smile.

"Come. Your wounds must be healed at once."

***

Nebula's punch flew towards her, but it was lacking strength and easy to predict. The fight had gone on longer than Nebula could handle; Gamora had successfully tired her out once again. She sidestepped the punch easily enough and went for a low kick, aiming for Nebula's right knee.

A second later, a sickening crunch echoed in the training yard.

Nebula cried in pain and dropped to the ground face first, an easy prey for Gamora's final blow. She raised her training staff and slammed it down on the other girl's back with all the strength she could muster.

Nebula let out a groan of pain, but she refused to admit defeat.

_Stay down... Can't you see that I've won?_

Nebula gritted her teeth and slowly propped herself on her elbows, but Gamora didn't let that stand. She raised her staff once more, and once more she brought it down on her prostrated sister. Another pained cry escaped Nebula's mouth, as Gamora braced to strike her sister a third time.

Thanos nodded to The Other before she did.

"That's enough," Thanos' old herald declared.

Gamora heaved a sigh, lowered her staff and took two steps back, watching as her father raised from his seat.

"Is it strength that you lack, Nebula?" he asked, making his way to the defeated girl, "Or is it conviction?"

Nebula was breathing heavily from pain and exhaustion. She didn't answer with anything more than a desperate whimper.

"It seems that Gamora has broken your knee," he observed as he crouched in front of her and raised her chin with his thumb and index finger.

Nebula had tears falling down her eyes now.

"Don't worry, little one," Thanos cooed. "We'll replace all the bones in your leg, so your sister won't break it again."

Nebula frantically shook her head: "N-no... Please-" was all she managed to say before two Chitauri grabbed her by the arms and dragged her away. "Please," she begged again, but her prayer fell on deaf ears.

Before she disappeared behind the exit door, she and Gamora locked eyes.

Gamora saw Nebula's face twist in a sickening scowl. She was the unbidden hatred directed towards her...

...and she felt nothing.

She didn't spare her sister a second thought as her father turned to her.

"You proved your worth once again, Gamora," he praised fondly, "You are truly gifted, my child."

"Thank you, father," she replied, smiling with pride.

Pride, at having just beaten her sister to a bloody pulp.

Indifference, at the knowledge of what that meant for Nebula.

Gamora closed her eyes in shame at the memory and cursed herself once more as she clenched her fist around the handle of Godslayer. She felt like something had been stuck in her throat.

Even just a few months ago, she would never have believed it if someone had told her she would have dropped all her friends on another planet and taken off on her own to go save Nebula, of all people.

But the incident with Quill's father had finally opened her eyes.

Nebula wasn't the heartless assassin everybody thought she was. Nebula was a scared little girl who had been forced to fight her way out of impossible odds. Just like her.

_"You're the one who wanted to win, and I just wanted a sister!"_

Gamora had let her down too many times.

Nebula was innocent. She was just a little orphan girl who could still have had a happy life had it not been for Thanos... and for _her._

No more.

She was not going to let down her sister ever again.

In front of her, out of the pod's viewport, planet Maarin was growing closer and closer. The radar signalled a Black Order Q-Ship in the 43rd southern sector.

_I'm here, Nebula. Hold on._

Gamora had thought about being sneaky, landing her pod away from the enemy ship and in a hidden place, but she knew it would have been useless. They already knew she was coming. They were waiting for her.

So she headed directly for the 43rd sector.

On the final approach, she was welcomed by laser blasts from the stationary Q-Ship. She managed to avoid the fist few, but then one shot hit her pod. She jumped out more than two thousand feet from the ground, but managed to land gracefully on her feet, as the pod crashed down in the distance and exploded in a ball of flames.

Gamora cursed under her breath. _Great. Now we're stranded,_ she thought as the cold, oxygen-deprived wind of Maarin whipped her face.

She looked around the desolated, rocky wasteland. Dark clouds all above left the place scarcely illuminated, and made her surroundings even more unsettling. In front of her, a black machine of death, was the Q-Ship.

_Well, no matter,_ she thought as she kept on her guard for possible attacks, _I can always appropriate that one..._

"Sister," a low, rumbling and scary voice greeted her, "How nice of you to join us..."

A door on the front of the ring-shaped spaceship opened, and a ramp came out of it. A few moments later, a bulky figure stepped out.

Gamora recoiled a little as she recognized her opponent.

"Cull Obsidian," she acknowledged.

Thanos had sent his strongest to deal with her. But she wasn't gonna let that stop her.

"Nice, but not unexpected," the reptilian brute continued, "I understand you are looking for Nebula?"

"Yes. And I understand that you have her on this planet, presumably in your ship..." Gamora countered.

"How perceptive of you..." Obsidian grunted.

"We don't have to do this," Gamora tried to bargain, "Just hand Nebula to me, and we can both leave."

Obsidian laughed: "Oh, sister. How far have you fallen? There's no way we both leave this planet. One of us will die here."

Gamora sighed. She knew that this was the only way it was gonna go: "And you think that's gonna be me?" she asked, eyeing him better and only then she noticed that his left arm was missing, and had been replaced with a metallic prosthesis.

She smirked, deciding to try and destabilize him a little: "I see that your field trip on Terra didn't go as planned. You got distracted, didn't you? Your own hubris was always your biggest enemy..."

Obsidian growled and narrowed his eyes, but didn't reply.

"The great Cull Obsidian defeated by the Earthers, that would have been hilarious. Their only mistake was starting out at the wrong end," Gamora declared, "They should have gone straight for the head."

"Yes. They should have," Obsidian retorted, "but if you think you will have a chance to correct their oversight, _you_ are the one who's mistaken."

The Black Order's champion raised his new mechanical hand, and it morphed into a giant blade. The time for talking was over.

He charged at her with all his might. Gamora drew Godslayer and parried his attack, gritting her teeth in strain.

***

Rhodey was looking around the lab in the Wakandan Royal Palace, and was having a hard time figuring out what the fuss was all about. He thought Wakanda was supposed to be the most technologically advanced country in the world, but so far, he had yet to see anything groundbreaking.

Princess Shuri was scanning Vision with what looked like a pearl bracelet. Once she was done, she opened her and and held the palm upward as a 3D hologram of Vision's body appeared out of one of the pearls.

Ok, not bad, but it wasn't like he hadn't seen portable sensors and 3D holograms before. This was certainly super advanced for Central African standards, but overall... meh.

Then again, he was used to be around Tony Stark, so maybe his usual standards were not exactly fair either. The Princess seemed very competent and incredibly smart, despite her young age.

"Whoa... The structure is polymorphic," she commented.

"That's right," Banner confirmed a little awkwardly, "we had to attach each neuron non... non-sequentially," he explained, stumbling a bit.

"Why didn't you just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?" Shuri asked with a little shit-eating smile.

Banner seemed to falter, but Helen Cho rolled her eyes: "There wasn't time for that. Ultron had already started downloading his own consciousness into the brain," she explained, voice a little forceful, "reprogramming the synapses could have severed the link to Jarvis and made the download of his matrix impossible. There are trillions of neurons there, one misalignment could have caused a cascade of circuit failures."

Rhodey raised an eyebrow. Apparently Doctor Cho had taken a little offence at the princess' criticism.

Shuri shrugged: "Well, I'm sure you did your best," she said with a dismissive smile.

Rhodey's other eyebrow joined the first close to his hairline. Was this girl trying to imitate Tony now? Because she was failing spectacularly.

"The best while being possessed by the Mind Stone? I'll take that as a compliment," Cho aggressively countered.

"It was," Shuri assured her, despite her teasing grin telling that it was anything but.

Now it was Sharon who rolled her eyes: _"Do you wanna, do- do you wanna, be a primadonna like me tonight?"_ she sing-songed, looking up at the ceiling. Both the princess and Doctor Cho gave her scathing looks, but Rhodey cut the banter before it started.

"Can you fix him?" he asked Shuri, referring to Vision.

The young princess didn't avert her eyes from Sharon for a long moment, before finally relenting: "Yes, but the damage is extensive. Possibly as extensive as it could have gotten without being fatal," she said, before turning to T'Challa: "It will take time, brother."

"How long?" Rhodey asked.

"As long as you can give me," she answered gravely.

"Oh look. _Now_ she needs time," Cho muttered to herself.

_"Do you wanna, oh don't you wanna, be a primadonna with me tonight?"_ Sharon went on.

"Hey! Whose side are you on!?" the Doctor snapped, glaring at the former SHIELD agent, who just shrugged and gave her an innocent smile:

"Vision's?" she deadpanned.

Thor, Sif and the four Guardians were eyeing them confusedly, while Steve was giving her his patented disapproving glare. Natasha, Carol and even Wong were smirking. So was T'Challa.

Rhodey eyed Sharon, trying to convey that she was not helping and that now was not the time, but it was someone else who distracted everybody from her untimely display of singing prowess.

The General of the Dora Milaje, Okoye, caught everyone's attention as a bracelet on her wrist, similar to the one Shuri wore, started trilling loudly. Clearly an alarm system.

The warrior woman raised her hand and activated the device. One of the pearls composing the bracelet rolled into her palm and produced a hologram. It showed some sort of... triangular thing that Rhodey didn't recognize.

"Something is entering the atmosphere..." she announced.

"They're here," Vision deduced. His voice was low and resolute, but Rhodey could hear the fearful undertone.

He immediately took charge: "Banner?" he called, "What's the Hulk's status?"

The doctor shook his head: "I'm sorry, Rhodey, he won't come out, I... I don't even feel him, ever since the attack in New York," he said almost desperately.

Rhodey nodded and thought for a moment: "Alright. Then you stay here and help Doctor Cho and Princess Shuri with Vision," he told the doctor, who nodded.

Rhodey then addressed the others: "Carol, I need you to stay here as well. If they're after Vision's stone, we need to protect him as best as we can, and no one could protect him better than you," he told his former student.

"I can do it," Carol acquiesced.

Rhodey then turned to the android himself: "Vision, lay down and try not to worry. We'll hold our own until Bruce, Helen and the Princess patch you up. Carol will stay here with you until you're better."

Vision just nodded his assent, repositioning himself slightly on the bed.

"We will also leave a few Dora Milaje spread out in the palace," Okoye decided, turning to one of her subordinates: "Ayo, you will be in charge of the Palace's defences."

The other woman raised her right arm, fist closed, across her chest and nodded: "Yes, General."

That wasn't a bad idea, Rhodey thought: "Is it okay if I leave a couple of mine here too?" he asked, "Carol is great, but I don't want these fuckers trying a sneak attack on her and Vision."

Okoye nodded: "Of course," she said simply.

Rhodey turned to his group.

He couldn't leave any of the Guardians here, he didn't know them enough. Maybe Lang could be a good choice, he was the least competent after all and out there, in an all-out battle, he would almost certainly become a hindrance. He would do much better as backup to the Palace's guards.

He also didn't want to leave Barnes and Rogers together, or Rogers would only concern himself with keeping is old boyfriend safe. So one of them was definitely gonna stay here. And between the two, he didn't really trust to leave Rogers out of his sight.

His choice was made.

"Barnes and Lang, you'll stay here. You heard the General, Ayo is in charge," he said, pointing to the Dora in question, "Everybody else, get ready. We're gonna meet 'em as far away from the Palace as we can," he decided.

The former Winter Soldier and Ant Man both nodded, moving towards each of the two exits of the lab but obviously, Rogers started to protest being separated from his bestest buddy: "Rhodey, maybe..." he started. But he didn't have a chance to continue.

Rhodey leveled him with a glare so scathing that the disgraced soldier's mouth immediately snapped shut. The Colonel then slowly walked up to him. In the armor, he was even bulkier and more imposing that Rogers.

"Barnes and Lang will stay here with Carol and Vision," he repeated, deadpan but deadly serious, "everyone else is with me."

He didn't even wait for an answer, simply turning and walking calmly out of the door with T'Challa and Okoye to start organizing the defences.

***

It seemed impossible. As the Starks and Spiderman were flying Supergiant's ship towards planet Xandar, Stephen had retreated to the back of the command room and was using the Time Stone to go see all the possible futures, all the possible ways the upcoming fight would end.

So far, he had seen over eight million scenarios. And in each and every one of them, Thanos had accomplished his goal. He had seen all his plans come to fruition.

Stephen kept looking, becoming increasingly dismayed.

Nothing had changed. Thanos kept winning.

_Come on, there has to be a way..._

Eleven million alternatives. All of them still in favour of the Titan.

_No... No, I refuse to believe this guy can't be beaten..._

Fourteen millions. Thanos kept winning...

"Stop, Stephen. It's no use."

The voice in his head startled him. He yelped and looked around, fortunately still in his astral form, otherwise the others would have heard him and tried to rouse him, interrupting the connection.

He couldn't have that. He needed to listen to the voice.

Because it was a voice he never thought he would hear again.

"Ancient One?" he called.

His mentor materialized in front of him out of sparkling yellow energy: "Hello, Stephen. It's been some time," she greeted with an affectionate smile.

The doctor didn't know what to make of it.

"You were dead," he said, and it almost sounded like a question.

The bald woman pursed her lips: "Yes. My time had come. But I managed to cast one last spell on myself before I exhaled my final breath. It allowed me to retain my consciousness even in the Great Beyond."

Strange could hardly believe his ears: "How?" he asked incredulously, "Even with all the dark energy you siphoned from Dormammu, it must have been almost impossible," he reasoned. He was really impressed by such a feat.

"It was," the Ancient One agreed, "Nearly impossible and extremely dangerous. I am defying Death's authority by retaining my consciousness after having passed away, and when she finds out, she will not be pleased."

Stephen's eyebrows scrunched together: "Wait... She?" he asked.

The Ancient One smirked: "You still have much to learn, Stephen..." she said, before sobering up: "Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death," she explained.

"I thought Asgard had been destroyed," Strange recalled.

"Yes. And one could say, it was destroyed _because_ of Hela," the woman revealed.

Stephen's eyebrows shot up, but the Ancient One didn't leave him time to say anything: "Hela Odinsdottir is nothing like the other Asgardian Gods. She stands above them like they stood above ancient humans. Her power is absolutely gargantuan compared to that of normal Asgardians like Thor, Loki or even Odin. She is a true Goddess... thanks to the Soul Stone."

"The Soul Stone?" Strange repeated.

It was absurd! What was it with bad guys and Infinity Stones these days?

But the Ancient One confirmed it: "The Soul Stone touched her. It granted her immortality and absolute power over the dead. She is not just the Asgardian Goddess of Death... she actually _is_ Death."

Stephen shook his head. He was getting too many information that didn't really seem pertinent: "Okay... And why are you telling me about this... Lady Death exactly?"

"Because of her allegance with Thanos."

Stephen felt his stomach drop.

An immortal, super Asgardian who had allied herself with Thanos. As if they weren't already swimming in a sea of manure. Fantastic.

"Oh. Well isn't that just great," he sighed, "so now we have _another_ crazy-powerful evil being to deal with..."

"Not necessarily."

At that, Stephen perked up: "Not necessarily? What do you mean? You said this Hela is an ally of Thanos," he pointed out.

"For now, yes. But maybe, not for long," his mentor replied.

Stephen hated when she spoke in enigmas like that: "How do you know all this? You told me you could never see past the moment of your death... You shouldn't even know about Thanos!" he told her. He was starting to lose his patience.

"Not until I was alive. But in the moment of my death, I was finally able to see beyond it and into the future again... like you are now, using the Time Stone," she explained, "I saw Thanos, and I saw Hela. At this moment it seems to you that the Goddess of Death is just another part of the problem, Stephen... but she might actually be part of the solution."

Stephen was only getting more confused with every new tidbit of information: "I don't understand... Are you saying that this... Goddess of Death will double-cross Thanos and get on our side?"

"I don't know, Stephen. I can't see that far yet," the woman confessed, "But you will not find a solution in the future. The key to defeating Thanos lies in the past."

In the past? So Thanos had already sealed his fate?

"I don't have much time, Stephen," the Ancient One warned, "All I can tell you is that Thanos and Hela are connected through the Soul Stone. Thanos holds it, but it's Hela who was touched by it..." she said, as her astral form started to fade.

"Wait! What am I looking for?" Stephen asked hurriedly.

"There's a prophecy, Stephen," the Ancient One replied, fading more and more, "the prophecy of Thanos' demise," she said, smiling fondly at him, "This is all the knowledge I can give you," she concluded, before fading away completely.

Stephen was left reeling for a good minute before he managed to at least try to process all the new information his mentor had given him.

Another bad guy. Or chick, in this case.

But one who could prove instrumental in defeating Thanos.

The Ancient One was right. He had never seen or heard about this Hela before, but if she really was such an important variable in the equation, he could not just look in the future for a solution against Thanos when he didn't know anything about her.

He had to know more about this Hela. And he knew just where to start.

The Ancient One had said Thanos and Hela were connected through the Soul Stone. That was his starting point.

He opened the Eye of Agamotto again, and connected with the Time Stone inside it.

"Show me Soul," he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Sharon sings to Shuri and Helen is "Primadonna like me" by The Struts. As for the prophecy the Ancient One is referring to, we already saw it: it was back in Chapter 1, in Thanos' flashback sequence.


	16. Skirmish on Maarin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gamora is trying to save Nebula, but Cull Obsidian is not an opponent she can handle alone. Luckily, backup is not far behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, it's been a month since I last updated this story, and I'm terribly sorry for making you wait so long. My laptop broke down, and I lost almost all my work on this chapter. So I took a deep sigh, and basically started over on my father's old laptop. But then THAT laptop broke down too, and I was back to square one. This time I had backup files, but I was stuck on writing on my phone until my 'puter was fixed.
> 
> Hopefully it never happens again. I kinda need my computer for work too, so you can guess how rage-inducing the whole experience was.

The Benatar flew straight through another one of those ‘jump points,’ as Quill had called them. Pepper had lost count of how many of them they had passed, and she was starting to feel a little lightheaded. She had never been car-sick, or sea-sick or even plane-sick, but evidently her stomach took deep-space travel a little differently.

Who knew it was done mostly by ‘jumping' through dimensional portals. Her mind immediately went to Tony and Friday: they would have loved it here. They would have been firing question after question about the mechanics of it all, geeking and technobabbling all the way to their destination. So would Peter and Karen.

Maybe right now they were jump-traveling too, on that alien spaceship they had found themselves on.

She frowned, feeling a new surge of anguish: _We'll get Quill's girlfriend and then go find them,_ she reminded herself, _we'll find them soon..._

“Alright, last jump in three minutes and thirty-two seconds,” Quill announced seriously, “and we'll end up right outside of Maarin's atmosphere.”

Pepper steeled herself. She was scared out of her mind at the idea of going against those same aliens who had attacked the Compound, but she had to keep her cool and see this through.

 _They killed Foster and her friends and hurt Hope,_ she reminded herself.

She remembered finding Doctors Foster and Selvig and their assistant under the rubble of the East wing of the Compound. She remembered their mangled bodies covered in blood.

She and Jane Foster had never been friends by any means, barely even acquaintances. They had only met in passing at some of the Avengers get-togethers. But Pepper had liked the young scientist. She was intelligent and determined, two qualities Pepper appreciated. And she definitely didn't deserve to die at the hands of those disgusting aliens.

_Now we're gonna make them pay._

“Tadashi, how are we looking on firepower? What are our odds?” Pepper asked her copilot.

“Not very promising, Okaasan,” the young AI replied, “The Rescue suit isn't designed for combat. But the repulsors and unibeam are fully functioning, as are the laser cutters. We are as ready as we can be,” he assured her.

She nodded, still trying to get in the right state of mind.

She had never been a violent person, and now she was throwing herself head-first into an alien war. But this time it was different: this time, Tony amd Friday were on the line. So were Karen and Peter.

And she would exterminate every single Chitauri in existence for each one of them.

“We here, folks,” Kraglin announced right before the ship shot through another one of those space-portals.

Pepper closed her eyes to push down the lightheadedness ofthe jump. Once on the other side, she took a deep breath before opening her eyes again, centering herself.

She frowned and gritted her teeth. Now there was no going back.

***

There was a great deal of concitation in the Wakandan Royal Palace. The Avengers and the Guardians were scrambling to coordinate with the Dora Milaje as well as the Kingsguard and the regular Wakandan army. Both Thor and Sif had fallen into their warrior habits and were flanking the Avengers as they prepared to leave the city, in order to meet Thanos' forces as far away from it as they could. The Guardians and Wong were doing the same.

One of the Guardians, however, was hesitant to follow.

“Are... are you sure you don't need more help here?” Mantis asked the blonde Terran woman in the colorful uniform, the one who was said to be the most powerful of all the Avengers.

The woman in question eyed her sideways. For a moment, Mantis felt cowed by her intense gaze, but then the blonde shrugged: “Heck, if you’re volunteering to stay and help, I won't say no... Rhodey?” she asked her friend in the metal suit.

The man turned to the blonde and then to her. He pursed his lips, conflicted, but then Drax spoke: “Maybe she should actually stay here,” he said, “she won’t be able to put the whole of Thanos' army to sleep all at once.”

The armored man looked at him in question, but eventually decided he didn't have time to be brought up to speed on her powers before Thanos' forces knocked at the door. He relented almost immediately.

“Alright. She can stay,” he said simply, before turning to the rest of his team: “Avengers, move out,” he ordered, heading out of the lab.

His group soon followed. The Guardians were the last to get out, Drax sending her a knowing smirk.

Mantis wondered what he thought he knew. Even she didn't really understand why she had asked to stay. She just... felt like she wanted to stay with Vision.

She liked Vision. He was kind, and nice. Like Drax was. But Mantis wasn't sure she liked him in the same way she liked Drax. It was more...

She was distracted by her thoughts when she heard the blonde woman sighing: “maybe letting you stay wasn't the best idea,” she muttered.

Mantis wondered what she meant, before realizing she had been staring absently at Vision the whole time.

Right. Massive battle about to start. Hardly the time or the place to get distracted.

Mantis pursed her lips and turned to the woman to apologize, only to see that she was smiling. She was smiling that same, knowing smirk Drax had.

Mantis didn't get it. _What’s this all about?_

She considered keeping quiet about it, but she remembered how Drax had always encouraged her to ask about things. He said people actually wanted to talk with other people, if they were prompted. So she decided to go for it.

“Do you... think I’m not adequate to help you here?” she asked the woman apologetically.

The woman shrugged: “Nah. I think what's distracting you now will turn into a great motivator later,” she replied cryptically, smiling, before sobering up: “Do try to stay focused when the time comes, though. We are in a very serious situation, we can't lower our guard even for a second...”

Mantis' face immediately became resolute: “I promise. I will do my best to help protect Vision,” she vowed.

“I don't doubt it,” the woman replied, the knowing smirk back on her face.

Again, Mantis gave her a look: “Do you really only rely on my body language? You seem to have my same powers, only you can read my feelings even without physical contact...” she considered.

“Read your feelings? You have empathic powers?”

The question had come from Vision, before his friend could answer her.

Again, Mantis felt her cheeks grow hot as he addressed her: “I... Yes,” she replied, “I can feel the emotions that another person feels upon touch...”

“Really?” Vision asked, trying to prop himself up on his elbows before one of the three people who were supposed to heal him, the young woman called Princess, put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him down before getting back to making preparations on one of her machines.

“Interesting...” Vision continued, as the other woman - Doctor, or something - and the man who had flown here with them on the plane - also Doctor? Did they have the same name? - came closer and attached a couple of sensors to Vision's left arm.

Mantis smiled goofily: “I struggled very hard to learn how to use my powers,” she confessed, “It took a lot of training and a lot of time. Emotions are still pretty difficult for me... Especially social interactions...”

“I used to find social interactions difficult as well,” Vision confided, “sometimes I chose not to speak as to not appear ill-mannered...”

“Really?” Mantis perked up.

“Yes. But my friends helped me,” Vision continued, “My creator Tony and the other Avengers were really helpful in that.”

“Ooh, the Guardians helped me a lot too!” Mantis beamed.

“Jeez. Get a room, you two!” the smaller of the Terran men said, only to be promptly put in his place by the blonde woman:

“Mind your own business, Lang,” she growled.

The man seemed to get three sizes smaller: “Y-yes Ma'am, sorry Ma'am,” he exclaimed, clearly scared.

The woman glared at him for another few seconds, possibly to make sure she didn't have to repeat herself later, and the man seemed to almost start shaking in fear.

That woman reminded Mantis of Gamora. She was really intimidating, but when she turned to her all her scary vibe disappeared as if it had never been there, as she relaxed into an easy smile and winked at her, before moving to the entrance of the room, to make sure it was secure.

Mantis and Vision both stared at each other uncomprehendingly.

***

Gamora was losing.

At first, she had managed to counter Cull Obsidian's attacks, and even draw some blood with her sword. But she had had to put all her strenght and speed behind each and every offense, and even so, all she had to show for it were some superficial cuts on Obsidian's arms and torso.

Cull Obsidian wasn't just the strongest of the Black Odrer generals. He was also the most resilient. What little advantage Gamora had in agility and technique, he more than compensated with brute strenght and, quite simply, being able to take everything she could dish out with little to no damage.

And now, Gamora was losing momentum. Even though Obsidian's attacks hadn't connected yet, she was forced on the defensive, scrambling to avoid her opponent's relentless onslaught.

Coming here alone had been a stupid idea.

Obsidian slashed at Gamora with the blade concealed in his prosthetic arm. Gamora managed to dodge it by a a hair's breath, but couldn't avoid the brute's follow-up punch.

All the air was knocked out of her lungs as she was propelled more than eighty yards backwards, losing the grip on her own sword in the process.

She crashed badly on the ground and groaned in pain. She knew Obsidian packed a hell of a punch, but she had never been on the receiving end of said punch before. It felt like all her internal organs had popped like rubber balloons.

Thanos’ strongest sauntered slowly up to her, picking up Godslayer and casually snapping it in half: "Pathetic,” he hissed, “You thought you could save someone with your measly power? Get up and fight!”

She tried to. She really did. But she wasn't even able to prop herself up on her elbows before he stomped down on her with all his weight. Gamora's eyes bulged and her mouth gaped in a silent scream of pain.

“How disappointing,” Obsidian drawled before kicking her on the side and sending her flying again.

She crashed on the ground face down and coughed up blood.

How disappointing indeed. All her determination, all her drive to make things right and save Nebula, and it had taken a single punch to put her down.

_I’m sorry, Nebula... please, forgive me, I'm not strong enough..._

“I believe we are done,” she heard Obsidian say, “You make a good punching bag, Gamora, but I have no interest in toying with a defenceless opponent...” he hissed, his new metallic hand once again turning into a blade.

Gamora closed her eyes. _This is it..._

She gritted her teeth, trying to not give her opponent the satisfaction of seeing her complete dismay as he prepared the final blow.

But that blow never came.

Right in that moment, a volley of armor piercing rounds rained down on the Black Order general, most of them ricocheting uselessly on his hardened skin, but making him lose his balance and stumble away from Gamora. Thanos’ subordinate growled in frustration as the Benatar came into view through the clouds, causing a turbulence that shot dust everywhere and made it difficult for the two opponents to see anything.

Gamora looked up in confusion and astonishment as Quill's voice reverberated from the ship's outer speakers: “Get your filthy hands off my girl, a-hole!” he shouted, before opening fire again.

Obsidian crossed his arms defensively in front of him, the bullets once again bouncing uselessly on the scales of his skin.

“What are you doing, you useless idiots!? Kill this pest!” he barked.

All of a sudden, the outer doors of his Q-ship opened. Dozens of Chitauri started to flow out of them.

 _Bastard,_ Gamora thought, _he didn't come alone... I would have never gotten to Nebula! At this point I wonder if she's even here..._

***

Pepper had reached a junction between two corridors when Kraglin grabbed her by an elbow and pulled her against the wall, looking at her in urgency with his index finger over his lips, indicating her to be silent. A moment later, several Chitauri passed the corridor she was about to take, apparently running towards the outside.

“Thanks,” Pepper breathed when they were gone.

“Concentrate, lady,” Kraglin admonished, stern but clearly scared himself, “We gon' get killed if we’s not careful...”

Pepper nodded. She was a little in over her head here.

She had blown a hole in the outer hull of Obsidian's Q-ship with her repulsors so she and Kraglin could infiltrate the craft while Quill distracted Cull Obsidian. That had been the easy part, but they had been wandering around the lower levels of the ship for a while now, and they had found nothing.

Kraglin peeked his head out in the corridor, before signalling to her that it was clear and she could follow.

“Tadashi, how are the scanners?” she asked in a whisper.

“Still malfunctioning, Okaasan,” the AI replied, “the walls seem to be made of reflective material that completely isolate each and every room... I don't detect any heat signatures or infrared ones...”

“Damn it... Ship's a goddam maze,” Kraglin gritted, “How we gon' find Nebula like this?”

Pepper lowered her gaze. She really wanted to help, she could see that Kraglin was worried for this Nebula. She was definitely something more than a friend to him.

In that moment, two stray Chitauri rounded the corner of the corridor in front of them. Despite the initial scare, Pepper raised her hands, ready to blast them, but Kraglin was faster. He whistled and his Yaka Arrow shot out of its holster and straight through the first Chitauri and through the wall behind him, before turning back at his command and shooting through the wall again before stabbing the other alien through the head.

The two ugly beasts dropped dead to the ground.

“Um... Again... Thanks,” Pepper sighed. This time, Kraglin simply nodded.

“Heat signatures detected,” Tadashi suddenly said.

Pepper perked up: “What!? Where!?”

“Behind the wall Mr. Kraglin pierced,” Tadashi explained, bringing up a holofram on Pepper's display, “the thermal scanners can reach in the adjacent room through the holes made by his weapon.”

The two exchanged a tentative smile. They really needed a stroke of luck. Could they have found what they were looking for?

“How many, Tad?” Pepper asked. “Nineteen, Okaasan. Eighteen standing, one laying on the ground,” Tadashi elaborated.

It was her.

Nebula was clearly the one on the ground, while the rest were obviously some jailers.

“We found her,” Kraglin said, his face set in stone.

“How do you want to do this?” Pepper asked.

Kraglin turned to the wall behind which Nebula was being held. It looked as if his eyes were actually glaring into the two holes made by his Yaka Arrow.

“Full frontal assault,” he answered.

***

“Guys, we have a situation here,” Sam said nervously as he saw the Chitauri transport approach at breakneck speed. It almost looked like they were freefalling, with no control whatsoever on their course and speed.

“Don't fret,” a voice came through the comm, and he instantly recognized it as the Princess': “ they are in for a little surprise...”

She had barely finished speaking when the lead transport exploded. Sam ducked, not knowing what had caused it to blow up in a thousand pieces but expecting to be hit by falling debris, only to notice that the remains of the craft were not falling vertically towards him. They were instead falling in a wide arc, away from the city.

It all became clear: that dome-shaped force field that covered the entirety of Birnin Zana, concealing it from the outside world, was not just a nice hologram of a rainforest to keep satellites and planes from seeing the city. It was an actual force field that physically kept intruders out, and that ship had smashed right into it. The debris were now following its curvature and falling harmlessly away from the population.

He heard the princess cackle almost evilly as she no doubt watched the show: “Told you. I doubt any of them can get past my defence system,” she boasted.

“We should probably wait for the celebrations, Shuri,” T'Challa said, souring the mood: “We have more incoming outside the barrier. They’re landing by the edge of the forest.”

Sure enough, not a single one of the other transports hit the force field. They all crashed on the ground just outside the dome shielding the Golden City.

“Oh, goody,” Paxton drawled, "You were right, guys. They brought friends this time...”

“We will hold them off,” T'Challa assured resolutely, “Let's go greet them.”

With that, the king boarded what looked like a vehicle between a hovercraft and a flying car, followed by his general, Okoye. Many royal soldiers were boarding similar vehicles all around him.

Sam looked around a little lost, then noticed his team had also started embarking on those flying cars.

“Wilson! You coming or what!?” called Barton angrily from one of the hovercrafts, “Either get your ass on board or spread those wings and get going! The aliens won't wait for you to be ready!”

Sam eyed him a little sideways. He was sick and tired of the archer's anger issues. He had hoped that the rage would have faded in the last two and a half years - especially considering they had been in the wrong - but Barton seemed to have held onto it like a lifeline.

Still, he didn't want to get involved into an argument. Now was not the time.

He bit down a snide remark and boarded the closest hovercraft.

***

Quill jumped down from the still flying Benatar and landed right in front of Gamora, firing his quad-blasters at Cull Obsidian. The bulky alien barely even jerked back, growling menacingly and starting to walk towards the two Guardians.

“Miserable lowlives!” he bellowed, “I will end you! _All of you!”_ he said as he started to run towards them to attack.

“Uh-oh, he's pissed,” Quill muttered from behind his helmet, as he crouched to grab Gamora.

“Peter, what are you doing here?” Gamora asked, her voice strained by her injuries. She barely managed to formulate the question before coughing, drops of blood falling from her mouth.

“Keeping you from getting killed by _that,”_ he replied, lifting her in a fireman carry and activating his aero-rig, taking off not a moment too soon. Obsidian was already there, slashing at him with his blade and missing him by a millimeter. Quill tried to fly away but had to dodge another attack from Obsidian, who had hurled his hand-blade at him. It was attached to his arm by a chain, allowing him to reclaim it immediately and launch it again. Immediately afterwards, two energy beams from the surrounding Chitauri almost shot him out of the sky.

“They are escaping!” Obsidian shouted to his Chitauri, “After them!” he ordered.

"N-Nebula..." Gamora whimpered.

Star Lord flew away faster: “Don't worry. We got that covered,” he assured.

Gamora was too weak to ask, but she frowned in confusion.

_We?_

***

Pepper brought down almost two thirds of the wall with a few repulsor shots, some of which also struck a few of the Chitauri that were guarding Nebula. Those not hit by Rescue's repulsors barely had the time to gather their wits before Kraglin's Yaka Arrow carved through them.

Kraglin didn't spare the corpses a single glance as he walked past them and to the cell where Nebula was held. He made quick work of the automatic lock and walked in.

And then, he suddenly didn't know what to do.

“Uh... Howdy there,” he chirped awkwardly.

Even Pepper, who was still shocked by the whole situation, raised an eyebrow at that.

“...what the heck?” Nebula asked breathlessly, trying to at least crane her neck his way.

“I'm... Uh, I mean, we... Are here to save you,” Kraglin explained, even more awkwardly.

Nebula then finally noticed Pepper: “Who's that?”

“Um, friend of a friend, I guess,” Pepper said, ”...well, more like a friend of a frenemy of Quill. My name is Pepper.”

Nebula eyed her sideways: “...Like the spice?”

“It's a long story,” Pepper dismissed her, “and now is not the time. We have to get you to our ship,” she urged.

“Right,” Kraglin agreed, turning to Nebula, “Can you walk?”

Nebula looked at him as if he was an idiot.

Kraglin winced. It was obvious she couldn't even move a finger, what was wrong with him?

“Right, that was a stupid question,” he muttered before awkwardly picking her up bridal style: “Let's get the hell outta here,” he told Pepper.

***

Star Lord was trying with all his might to avoid being shot down.

He had set the landing coordinates on the Benatar's autopilot to a zone pretty far away from the battle, to avoid risking his ship getting damaged, but now he was second-guessing that decision. He should have had it land closer.

“Quill, we found Nebula. We're on our way back.”

Kraglin’s voice coming through his comm filled Quill with relief. _Finally._

Now all they had to do was get to the Benatar and get the hell out of this wretched planet.

But, just as he came in sight of the ship, a Chitauri beam clipped him. He yelped in pain as he lost his grip on Gamora.

Horror and desperation washed through him as he dove to grab her, but he didn't make it in time. Gamora crashed on the ground with another pained scream. Several Chitauri tried to rush to her to grab her, but Quill managed to shoot them with his blasters, landing in front of her.

A second later, Obsidian was there.

He came up to Quill's right and swatted him away like a fly, before stomping on Gamora's leg, breaking it. Gamora didn't even have the strength to scream anymore, only letting out a pathetic whimper.

“This has gone on way too long,” Obsidian hissed with a sinister grin on his face, before plunging his blade down, driving it straight through Gamora's abdomen.

“NOOO!” Quill shouted.

The world stopped. He didn't even know if it was fury or fear that gave him the force to stand up, but stand up he did. He was about to blast Obsidian's face off, but one of the Chitauri had his same idea. An energy blast knocked all the wind out of him and he dropped on his knees. He distantly realized that the blast was not lethal, just aimed to stun him.

These bastard wanted him to watch as they killed Gamora. It was clear by how Obsidian was cackling like a maniac. But he didn't cackle for long.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Kraglin's Yaka Arrow shot righ into his right eye socket. The brute bellowed in pain, removing the blade from Gamora's supine form and morphing it back into a hand, before clutching his face with both hands and yanking out the weapon, tossing it to the ground. Kraglin recalled it immediately as Pepper's repulsor started to shoot down all the Chitauri that came close.

“Quill!”

Hands were grabbing him. Shaking him. But he didn't even feel them, his eyes transfixed on Gamora. _Oh God... Gamora..._

“Quill!!”

The hands were shaking him harder. A voice was calling him, but he couldn’t move. Couldn't do anything. _Gamora... No..._

“Quill, let's go!”

It was only when he saw Kraglin appear in his peripheral and gather Gamora in his arms that he reacted.

It was miss Potts. Rescue. She was the one who was shaking him.

“Quill! Dammit, snap out of it! We have to go now!”

He was completely paralyzed by anguish, fear, anger and pain. He tried to move, to speak, to do something, _anything..._ but he couldn't. His eyes were still on Kraglin, holding Gamora in his arms and flying towards the Benatar's landing spot with his own aero-rig.

He didn't even notice Rescue giving up on trying to make him move of his own volition and instead hauling him up by the back of his jacket's neck and take off after Kraglin. Just like he didn't notice Obsidian's furious screams behind them.

***

“Tadashi, what do I do!?”

“Put pressure on the wound, Okaasan. We need to slow down the bleeding.”

“We got more incoming!”

“Quill, goddammit, wake up! I need your help!”

“Quill! Quill, look at me! We're all gonna die if you don't react! We need you!”

“Quill!”

_“Quill!!”_

He couldn't do anything. He couldn't save her.

He had done everything he could... He had tried his best...

And now the woman he loved was bleeding out in the cargo hold of the Benatar.

Rescue was trying to stabilize her, to save her... and he was completely frozen.

He couldn't do anything.

Kraglin was frantically trying to shake their pursuers, as the Chitauri shot at them. He was being forced to perform one evasive maneuver after the other, making Rescue's job even more difficult as they were continuously thrown off balance by the ship's violent movements. Nebula, unable to move because Thanos had deactivated all her cybernetic parts, was glaring and shouting at him, trying to get him to react, and he couldn't do anything.

Gamora was dying. Gamora was... bleeding out, from that massive, gaping wound in her stomach... There was blood everywhere. Blood on Rescue's hands, blood staining Gamora's clothes, and pooling underneath her...

“Peter...” The new voice calling him was by far the lowest of them all. It was barely a whisper. And yet it was the voice that finally snapped him out of his haze.

It was Gamora’s voice. She was calling him.

“Peter... Take my hand...” she asked, shakily raising her hand towards him.

It took him a moment to actually move, but in the end, he complied, taking her hand in his.

“I need you... I need you, Peter...”

He felt tears freely falling down his cheeks. _Oh God, gamora..._

“We all need you, Peter...”

He gritted his teeth. He clenched down on Gamora's hand as hard as he could. He knew even if he squeezed with all his strenght he wouldn't hurt her. Gamora was so strong...

“We need your help, Peter... so you have to be strong now, okay?” Gamora said, barely loud enough for him to hear.

He closed his eyes. He focused on her grip. She was gripping back on his hand. It was weak. But it was there. Gamora was still alive. And he had to save her.

“Hold on, Gamora... Hold on...” he whispered to her, kissing her hand hard, before sprinting to his feet.

In his frazzled state, Kraglin watched him take his seat next to him almost disbelievingly. He had never seen Quill so determined. It was almost scary.

“I got this,” Quill growled as he took command of the craft, immediately expertly getting out of a pincer attack by two groups of Chitauri chariots: “Go down and help Nebula and Gamora. We’re gonna stick to the plan. Are the bombs set?” he asked.

“Uh... Y-yeah, we set them up on our way out...” Kraglin replied.

“Good. Then all we have to do is get to the jump point,” Quill replied, almost speaking to himself, as he watched Obsidian's big ringship take off on the Benatar's radar.

Now, all he had to do was get out of Maarin's atmosphere and through the first jump point out of the planet, where the Chitauri couldn't follow with their chariots. Only the big spaceship could chase them in open space.

Then, they would spring the trap.

***

The Benatar preceded the Q- ship out of the jump point by about three minutes. Kraglin had struggled to shake all those Chitauri, but Quill was a much more expert pilot. For him, shaking those things was the easiest thing in the world.

As soon as he had passed the portal, Quill turned the ship around and waited. Sure enough, Obsidian's massive ringship didn't make him wait long, materializing in an instant out of the jump point and starting to charge all of its external guns, ready to blast the stationary Benatar.

Quill didn't so much as budge as he hailed it on the radio.

Obsdian’s face appeared a second later on the screen in front of him. His right eye was closed, a trail of blood trickling down his face. He was furious.

“Any last words before I blow you and all your friends into oblivion!?” the brute demanded.

Quill, absolutely stone-faced, lifted his right hand for him to see.

He was holding a detonator.

“Rocket says hello, bitch,” he replied in a quiet tone, before activating the device.

All the bombs Kraglin and Pepper had placed in the Q-ship after saving Nebula exploded all at once.

The entire craft was torn apart by massive explosions, collapsing entirely. Quill watched the gruesome display without a single twitch of the muscles of his face. Not even when, bringing up the scanners to search for signs of life, he pinpointed Cull Obsidian himself among the debris of his destroyed ship and the corpses of all his Chitauri, twitching slightly as if gasping for air before exhaling his last breath and freezing solid in the vacuum of space.

***

Hela could barely conceal her disgust as the the hologram to Thanos' throne room appeared before her eyes.

The Titan was on his namesake planet, sitting pretty on one of his beloved thrones like a hedonist. That already didn't sit well with her, but it was something else that really made her stomach turn.

The Midgardian woman was there too.

Thanos had her on her knees beside his throne. She was scared, eyes wide, staring unseeingly in front of her, and trembling like a child thinking there was a monster under her bed. She was barely able to keep herself from whimpering as Thanos, his arm reaching over the armrest, absentmindedly caressed her hair as if she was a well trained pet.

Hela clenched her teeth. She noticed immediately how the girl's fightiness from earlier was completely gone like it had never been there. There was still some defiance left in her eyes, but most of it had already been replaced by fear and helplessness. Despite everything, she felt sympathy for the girl. _How long until you break entirely, little witch?_

But that wasn't why she had demanded to speak with Thanos.

“What is it, my love?” the Titan asked.

“Cull Obsidian,” she growled, at the end of her rope, “Your strongest general. He is dead.”

Thanos merely quirked an eyebrow, making Hela even more angry: “His life force has suddenly disappeared,” she explained, “just like Supergiant's did earlier.”

Thanos sighed: “Gamora always was my favourite daughter,” he reflected, “Still, I didn't think she would be able to defeat Cull Obsidian. She is more resorceful than I imagined...”

He was completely missing the point, and Hela was completely out of patience.

“No matter,” Thanos continued, “my plans don't change.”

Hela wanted to scream: “No matter?” she demanded, “Your generals failed in their quest to retrieve the Time and Mind Stones on Midgard. Now two of them are dead, and your grand plans are being thwarted left and right! And you say that they don't change!?”

“Little setbacks, my love,” Thanos dismissed her, “Nothing to worry about.”

Hela finally snapped: “Stop treating this like a joke!” she yelled.

What she didn't expect was that Thanos snapped too.

He slammed his gloved left hand on his armrest, causing the Midgardian witch to recoil and whimper in fear: “A joke?” he hissed, “Is this what you think!? You don't have the first inkling of how wrong you are!” he exploded.

Hela didn’t reply. It was the first time she had been stunned speechless by the Titan. She just watched as he slowly got up from his chair.

“I will soon have the power to end half the Universe. I will soon rule over the other half. So do not persist in trying to anger me, my love,” Thanos warned in a quieter but no less menacing tone, “One of these days, you might succeed.”

The hologram disappeared.

Hela's eyes, initially blown wide by the titan's outburst, narrowed dangerously as she gnashed her teeth and dug her nails painfully in her palms, trying to keep her hands from shaking in fury.

_Power._

That was what all this was about for him. Just _power._ Not bringing balance, not saving the Universe. Just ruling over it.

So far, she had wanted to give Thanos a chance, despite her doubts. She had decided not to interfere with his plans, because he seemed to believe in them so much...

But now, she had lost her patience. And the veil had been ripped from her eyes.

All this time, Thanos had only deceived her. His quest had nothing to do with balancing the Universe. It was merely done out of lust for power.

_Just like Odin._

It made her furious. She had been tricked, falling for Thanos' pretty speeches.

She would not stand for this, being deceived and used _once again._ She would not let Thanos get away with it.

She wasn't going to stay neutral one second longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand Thanos did it. What's Hela gonna do?
> 
> And is Gamora going to make it???


	17. Final Destination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While on Earth the Wakandan Army, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the New Avengers prepare for their last stand, quite a few people are headed for Planet Xandar.
> 
> ...also, let's check on Loki, shall we?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are. Final chapter before shit really hits the fan. I think that the "Infinity War" part of this story will be over in about three or four more chapters. Then it's Endgame time... or rather, a completely different continuation of this story that replaces Endgame entirely.

This couldn't be it. He refused to think that this was how his story ended.

Ever since Hela had left, Loki had been pacing nervously up and down his cell, desperate to find a way, _any_ way, to extricate himself from his current predicament. And he was growing increasingly anxious, nervous and frustrated with each second that passed, because he could find nothing. He had no way to escape.

Then again... even if he _did_ manage to escape, what good would it do?

Hela was alive. Norns, she wasn't just alive, she was _immortal._ They could never defeat her even if she was on her own... and she had allied herself with Thanos. The entire Universe wasn't big enough to hide from the two of them.

And yet... It wasn't only his own fate that was causing him concern.

Loki couldn't get his sister out of his head. Hela had been... It almost looked like she had been a test run for Odin to be the worst parent he could be to him and Thor.

Hela had been used, abused even, by her disgraced father (not _their_ father. Odin was never a father to Loki, no matter how many times he claimed otherwise. Loki hadn't been a son to him, only a trophy). Odin had never seen a daughter in her, only a tool to further his agenda. He had taken advantage of Hela's talents (and maybe _not only_ her talents, if Loki had guessed right) until she had become too dangerous for him to handle. Then he had just thrown her away like trash.

And now... Loki couldn't shake the sinking feeling that she was allowing herself to be used again.

No, he couldn't run away. Not this time. It wasn't only impossible... it was also the wrong thing to do.

It sounded almost ridiculous, and not because Loki was concerned about someone other than himself. There had been a time when he had genuinely cared about Thor, about Frigga, about Asgard. He still did, somehow.

It sounded ridiculous even to his own mind: Hela was quite possibly the most powerful being in existence. Loki had little doubts that she would be even more powerful than Thanos, if not for that gauntlet and the Infinity Stones. And still... Loki was feeling the need to help her. Despite her monstrous power and nigh-invulnerability, Loki wanted to save her from more harm.

Maybe it was because of how similar their pasts were. Both of them, used by the man who called himself their father. Both of them, abandoned by him in when they finally realized that they could be more than he had intended.

Loki was not going to let it stand. He would not let it happen again. Not to himself, and not to his sister.

He had to help her. While he could offer Hela next to nothing in terms of power, his advice and experience could prove valuable to her.

He scoffed at the irony. He felt more of a kinship with a sister he barely knew and who had tried to end him, than with a brother that had been with him (forced on him) for eons.

Still, now was not the time to delve into his own feelings. Now, maybe for the first time since Malekith had murdered Frigga, he had a purpose again.

And Loki was unbeatable when he had a purpose.

He had to find a way to make Hela listen to him. And to do that, the first step was to get out of his cell.

He quickly assessed his situation once more. His arm had been broken by Thanos as a result of his botched attempt to stab him, when he surrendered the Tesseract back on the Statesman, but thanks to his Jotunn genes it was already almost healed. It still bothered him a little, but he had fought in worse conditions.

The real problem was that he had to dispose of the three Chitauri guarding him and get out of his cell without raising any alarm. He could drop two of them simultaneously with his throwing knives, he was sure. But he had to make sure he killed the third as well before he had the time to react.

He had to make it. There was no other way.

_Here goes nothing,_ he thought, drawing a deep breath and subtly rolling his shoulders, making sure the Chitauri didn't pay attention to him as he prepared his attack.

He was just about to strike when the unthinkable happened.

Out of nowhere, faster than the eye could see, the three guards were impaled by three black swords, hurled with such strength that the victims were lifted from the ground and propelled against the far wall, nailing them there with their feet dangling off the floor.

Loki was left utterly stunned by the display. Even before recognizing Hela's Necroswords, he could tell his sister was the perpetrator. Each hit had been delivered with overwhelming power, incredible speed and lethal accuracy. Loki knew of only one person on this battleship capable of such precise, unstoppable strikes.

Sure enough, appearing out of the darkness that reigned in the corridor in from of the cells, the Goddess of Death strode purposefully towards him. On her face, an expression so furious that Loki istinctively stumbled backwards.

He eyed the dead guards in fear. What was this?

When she finally reached the front of his cell, Loki raised his hands in surrender: “W-wait... I-” he stuttered, but Hela didn't let him finish, grabbing the door by one of the bars and ripping it clean off its hinges with one hand and absolutely no effort, throwing it angrily behind her and making Loki jump back with a less than dignified yelp when it crashed on the floor with a loud clang.

He had tested the door earlier, in a moment when the guards had been distracted, and it hadn't budged in the slightest. Hela's strength was the stuff of nightmares.

She didn't wait for him to gather himself however, entering the cell and coming a mere three steps from him. Loki had subconsciously flattened himself against the far wall, terrified by his sister's power and, even more than that, by her murderous visage.

“S-sister, I... I don't know what happened to enrage you so, but if you would just-"

“Shut up,” she hissed in a tone that promised dire retribution if he didn't heed her command.

Loki's eyes snapped closed for a moment as he tried with all his might to stop himself from shaking in fear. When he opened them again, Hela was still glaring at him, only now her head was slightly tilted to the side.

“Thanos captured you twice, yes?” she demanded.

Loki gulped: “Y-yes, this is the second time...”

“So I presume you wish for revenge?” she asked then.

“I... What?” Loki stuttered.

“You heard me. Don't make me repeat myself,” Hela growled, clenching her fists.

Loki gulped again. She was already clearly furious for whatever reason, so it was better not to enrage her further: “I do,” he answered sincerely.

“Good. Then let's go.” With that, the Goddess of Death turned and got out of the cell.

Loki just stood there, gawking dumbly at her retreating form. What was going on!?

“Move it, brother!” Hela commanded.

Loki jumped a little before finally following.

***

Quill was still looking at Gamora's unmoving form, completely shellshocked.

She had lost consciousness almost immediately after they had successfully killed Obsidian. He had come back down from the command room just in time to see her grab Kraglin's arm, gritting her teeth in pain, and then slump down and go completely limp. For a few, horrible seconds, he had feared the worst, until Rescue had reassured him that she could still detect a heartbeat with her scanners.

This was bad. Gamora was injured too seriously. She would not hold on for long.

Despite the knot that had formed in his throat and that was almost stopping him from breathing, Quill felt renewed rage at her bastard of a father for doing this to her. Oh, he was gonna make him pay. What Gamora was suffering now, he was gonna make sure Thanos suffered tenfold.

He clenched his fists in his lap. He only regretted not being able to make Cull Obsidian suffer more too.

It had been so satisfying to watch that reptilian bastard writhe in open space right after he had blown his ship from under his feet. Quill was almost ashamed at having felt such a rush of adrenaline, watching a life end before his eyes in such a brutal way. He wondered if he wasn't more similar to his father than he felt comfortable to admit.

But the asshole had hurt Gamora. He was the one who had reduced her in the state she was in now, broken and barely clinging to life. Obsidian's death had been brutal and painful, yes, but it had also been swift. He deserved to suffer a lot more before finding peace in death.

He shook his head, trying to focus on Gamora now, instead of fantasizing on torturing an already dead man. She needed help, and she needed it soon.

“We have to get her to Xandar,” he said almost absently, “it's the closest planet with medical facilities good enough to help her...”

“I don't think that's a good idea,” Nebula replied. She was laying face down on the bed next to Gamora, while Kraglin worked on some exposed wiring on the back of her neck to reconnect her limbs to her brain and allow her to move: “There’s an Infinity Stone on Xandar. Thanos is probably heading there too,” she explained.

Quill's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched: “Good. Then I can introduce him to some of Rocket's weapons.”

“Yeah? And do you-" She was interrupted as Kraglin finished patching up the wiring in her neck, causing a small jolt of electricity to run through her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth for a moment.

“Sorry,” Kraglin drawled, sounding more than a little upset at having to hurt her to allow her to move. From her vantage at the side of the room, a little removed from the others, Rescue looked like she was about to throw up in her mouth, but her gaze was still strong and determined.

Nebula breathed through the pain and then tentatively tried to move, first clenching and reopening her fists and then slowly bracing herself on her elbows, before gingerly moving into a sitting position, facing away from Kraglin. She turned her head to him, eyeing him in askance, even sending him a little grateful smile. He nodded wordlessly and set to closing up the port carved in the skin at the nape of her neck, that covered the exposed wiring.

Nebula shifted her gaze back to Quill, reprising from where she had left: “Do you really think the ferret's weapons will work on Thanos? He's gonna sneeze you into oblivion! All of us!”

“So what exactly do you propose we do!?” Quill snapped, “Leave Gamora to die!?”

“No. But we should take her somewhere else. Korbin, Inaku, Arago-7... hell, even Contraxia! They're not that much further away from where we are now than Xandar is!” Nebula replied.

“Didn't you hear what the lady-knight's electronic assistant said?” Quill asked, pointing at Pepper but never taking his eyes off Nebula: “Gamora has eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and Obsidian stabbed her through both her liver and one of her kidneys! Do you think she's gonna survive a longer trip!? She's-"

His voice broke. He was forced to avert his gaze from Nebula to make sure he didn't start crying. The frustration was overwhelming.

“She's lucky to even still be alive,” he concluded.

Nebula clenched her fists as she replied: “Listen Starlord, I know you care about my sister. But Xandar is about to become a warzone. Maybe it already is, if Thanos sped up his plans. I'm not scared, but Gamora is in no condition to defend herself, and Thanos has already sent his strongest to deal with her, so I'd say he's pretty set on killing her at this point!”

She was breathing heavily and almost screaming by the end of it. Kraglin paused in his work and silently put a hand on his shoulder. Unexpectedly, Nebula reached up and placed her hand on top of his.

“I don't want to bring her to Thanos,” she said helplessly.

Quill stayed silent after that. Nebula had a point. As much as he - as all of them - wanted to destroy Thanos, Quill knew it was almost impossible. And bringing Gamora to him could mean give him the satisfaction of ending her as an added bonus to retrieving the Power Stone. But...

“I’m with Quill on this one,” Kraglin, who had yet to voice his opinion, whispered in a small voice.

Both Quill and Nebula turned to him. Even Pepper eyed him curiously.

“Gamora can't afford a longer trip. ‘Sides, Xandar’s the best defended planet in this quadrant of the galaxy. Only Hala's on that same level, but it's too far and them Kree don't like us Ravagers. Former or current, it don't matter...”

“So Gamora stands more chances on Xandar than anywhere else around here,” Quill pressed on, eyes boring into Nebula's: “And anyway, if we make a pit stop on another world and in the meantime Thanos gets to Xandar and takes the Power Stone ‘cause we’re not there to help, do you think we'll be able to stop him afterwards?”

Nebula looked down and didn't reply.

“I know it ain't easy,” Kraglin continued, “but we need to stop that guy while we still can.”

“That's right,” Quill agreed, “and it's also what Gamora would want.”

On that, Nebula couldn't argue. She knew Gamora wanted Thanos dead as much as she did, regardless of everything else. And she wouldn't have cared what happened to her, as long as he didn't get his way.

Nebula visibly deflated and took a deep breath: “Alright,” she finally relented, “we’ll take her to Xandar. Hopefully Thanos hasn't already razed it by the time we get there.”

***

Rhodey was nervous and fidgeting with anticipation. Everywhere he looked, Wakandan soldiers were standing at attention in prefect formations, eagerly waiting to do battle. What left him perplexed was their choice in weaponry.

He had expected futuristic blasters like in a sci-fi movie, but these guys were all armed mostly with swords, spears and knives. He knew that those things were vibranium-made and super-technological, and probably _worked_ like blasters, shooting energy beams and all, but the picture was... weird. It looked like a scene from Braveheart or Lord of the Rings. A prelude to a medieval battle, with the two sides about to charge at each other and fight hand to hand. It was a little disconcerting.

The hovercraft he had boarded stopped in front of the massive formation, and T'Challa immediately disembarked. Rhodey looked at him as he approached a man twice his size and dressed like a weird mix between a Zulu warrior and a Roman centurion. The two clasped elbows.

“M'Baku,” T'Challa saluted, “Thank you for standing with us.”

“Of course, brother,” the big guy replied with a smirk. He was wielding a... wooden spear? _What?_

T'Challa turned to him: “Colonel, this is M'Baku, leader of the Jabari tribe. M'Baku, Colonel James Rhodes, leader of the Avengers.”

The big guy didn't speak, just nodding grimly to him. _Not a very talkative guy,_ Rhodey thought, nodding back. He was about to say something when one more alien craft landed just outside of the protective dome, merely a few hundred yards in front of them. Only this one wasn't like the others.

It was one of those weird ringships that had attacked the Compound.

Rhodey’s eyes narrowed as the front of the ship opened and two figures started to walk out: “Shall we go greet them?” he asked the king.

“Yes. They deserve the chance to surrender,” T'Challa responded, starting towards the barrier. Okoye and the big guy, M'Baku, followed after him. Natasha came to stand to Rhodey's right: “They seem confident,” she considered.

“Yeah... I hope they're not _over_ confident,” Rhodey responded as they started to follow the three Wakandans.

As they walked up to the barrier, Rhodey eyed the approaching aliens with disgust. He recognized them immediately: the bitch with dark blue hair, greyish skin and horns sprouting from her brows, and the skinny guy who looked like Gollum but more emo were two of those who had attacked the Compound. Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive of the Black Order, according to Carol's information.

The third one was missing though. The big guy whose arm Sif had sliced off.

Rhodey smirked as he watched the woman draw a sword and drag the blade against the force field with a frustrated growl.

“Where's your other friend?” Natasha asked teasingly, having noticed the big guy's absence.

“Cull Obsidian is otherwise occupied,” Gothic Gollum replied, raising his glaive, “But don't worry. You'll find that the two of us are more than enough.”

“Really?” Rhodey scoffed, “Last time you weren't,” he reminded them.

The two aliens gritted their teeth. Apparently it was pretty easy to push their buttons.

“Thanos will have those Stones" the woman snarled.

“You are in the realm of Wakanda now,” T'Challa countered, “Thanos will have nothing but dust, and blood.”

The woman took a threatening step towards the barrier and narrowed her eyes. Rhodey didn't like that look. It was a confident expression, like she had a massive trick up her sleeve.

“We have blood to spare,” she replied to the King, before turning back towards the transport ships with her associate.

Rhodey watched them stroll away with a sense of apprehension and anticipation. What did they have in mind?

***

“Okay, that was the last jump, we’re in the home stretch,” Tony announced as the Q-ship that had once belonged to Supergiant shot out the final jump point on the route for Xandar's coordinates. Friday looked out of the left-side porthole, and there it was.

Planet Xandar, the capital of the Nova Empire.

The blue planet looked magnificent from there. _So similar to Earth,_ she thought. But there wasn't time to admire the beauty of it.

Time was of the essence. They had to land and convince the Nova Corps they were there to help. They had to protect the Power Stone.

She was distracted by static coming in from the communication system.

“They're hailing us,” Boss said, switching a few buttons on the center console.

“This is Denarian Dey of the Nova Corps. Identify yourself and state your intentions. Repeat: Identify yourself and state your intentions.”

“Well, at least they didn't shoot us on sight,” Strange uttered, “Good start...”

Tony was about to answer the call, but he never made it.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, an explosion on the port side in the rear part of the fuselage rocked the ship.

Tony was able to keep himself upright by holding onto the center console, but everybody else fell flat on their rears. Gathering his wits, Tony righted himself. _Great going, Strange. You practically called it,_ he thought, but kept himself from saying out loud.

Friday seemed to read his mind, but she wasn't as restrained: “You were saying!?” she asked Strange angrily.

“They're shooting at us!” Peter shrieked, stating the obvious, “Why are they shooting at us!?”

A second shot hit, this time closer to the starboard side engines, knocking them out. Tony knew he had to act fast. He frantically reached for the comm system and activated it: “Don't shoot! We're not hostiles! Repeat: Don't shoot!”

A third blow hit. This time the lights flickered.

“Don't shoot, dammit!” Tony barked into the comm.

“It's not them...”

He turned to Friday, who had just spoken: “What?”

Friday was leaning over a secondary console, assessing the damage to the ship: “These shots are coming from behind us! It's not the Nova, it's someone else!”

Before Tony could respond, static crackled through the speakers, before the voice of Denarian Dey resounded again in the ship.

“Warning! Boogey on your six!” he announced frantically, “We are trying to-”

He was cut off by another explosion. The comms went down.

Friday cursed: “You think this is Thanos?” she asked nobody in particular.

“Who else!?” Strange bellowed angrily, “Dammit, he's gonna blow us to smithereens before we even enter Xandar's atmosphere!”

“Um... Yeah, about that...” Tony muttered.

Strange turned to him questioningly, but before he could get a single word out, the whole ship started to shake. Looking out of the porthole, all they could see were licks of flames.

They were entering the atmosphere right now, with the ship's hull integrity compromised.

“Oh, crap...” Peter muttered.

He and Friday had their arms in the ship's steering systems, but it didn't look like they could do much.

“Boss, all the commands are unresponsive! We're gonna crash!” Friday exclaimed, confirming Tony's fear.

“Dammit...” Tony muttered, activating his armor: “Hold on to something!”

“Stark-"

“I can't do anything, Strange! Just brace!” Tony shouted as his helmet came up.

Nobody spoke any further; everybody just tried their best to just protect themselves. Following Tony's example, Friday and Peter's helmets activated instantly, as Strange shielded himself with a magical barrier.

Five seconds later, the ship crashed to the ground.

The impact was massive. The deafening sound of crunching metal resonated in the command room, as the horrific jolt of the crash sent everyone flying. The steering mechanism Peter and Friday were holding on to was ripped in half and off its bearings, as was the central console Tony had grabbed. The only one who managed to avoid most of the brunt was Strange, thanks to the Cloak of Levitation. And it wasn't over.

The ship had crashed with enough force to bounce off the ground and crash down again. This time, a good chunk of the right wall of the command room was ripped off, and Peter was propelled towards the gaping hole.

“Peter, NO!” Friday shouted in horror.

Peter acted on instinct, his Spidey sense going on autopilot, and webbed himself to a piece of rebar that was now sprouting out of the ceiling. But it broke off.

“I got you, Peter!” Karen exclaimed, activating the Iron Spider appendages and anchoring him to the ship, less than three feet from the massive hole.

“Yes!” Peter exclaimed, before realizing what had just happened: “Wait, what are those!?” he asked.

Karen had used the appendages once before, during the fight with Supergiant, but Peter had been brainwashed back then and he probably didn't remember. Still, before Karen could answer, Friday shot a magnetic grappling hook at him from her left vambrace, anchoring him further.

“Hold on, Peter!” she yelled, pulling him back inside.

The ship kept sliding on the ground for at least another half minute. In the intervening time, Tony had tried to get himself up at least twice, before the jolts and shakes from the still crashing craft knocked him down again.

When what was left of the ship finally came to a stop, he was furious.

“Everyone alright?” Friday asked.

Nobody answered her. Strange too looked pissed.

“Okay, what the hell was that!?” Tony demanded nobody in particular.

“Uh, I think it was _that,”_ Peter said. Tony looked his way and saw he was pointing in the sky, right out of the giant hole in the wall he had almost been thrown out of.

Tony went to look.

A spaceship was approaching. It was red, nowhere near as big as the ringship they had just crashed, and looked a little like a mechanical bird. It was coming down at full speed, and for a moment Tony had the image of a Japanese Kamikaze plane about to crash on an American warship. But this ship had other intentions.

As it came closer, it opened fore on the wrecked Q-ship with all its weapons. Tony and the others had to scramble for cover, until the ship pulled out of its dive and repositioned.

“Alright, now I'm pissed,” Tony declared.

He activated the repulsors and shot out of his hiding spot, Friday right behind him. He took only a moment to notice that thankfully they had crashed in an empty area away from people. Good.

Then he looked for their attackers, and sure enough, he spotted the small red ship right in front of them, circling around and preparing to attack again.

“Oh no you don't!” he exclaimed, shooting two homing missiles. They struck on the back of the fuselage, crippling the engines. The ship started making smoke and falling, but managed to land without crashing about a mile away.

Tony had had enough. He immediately took off to the landing spot, determined to end this once and for all.

“Boss, wait for me!” Friday called, hurrying after him.

They didn't even make it to the ground before some guy wearing a red and brown trenchcoat, and with a jet-pack and rockets on his boots, shot out of the ship and started to fire at them with some random blasters.

As he avoided the shots, Tony wasn't sure, but this guy, with his stupid-looking helmet and generally colorful appearance, didn't really look like one of Thanos' henchmen. Those he had met so far looked a lot more serious.

And then, something incredible happened.

A second figure came up from the damaged red spaceship, and to Tony's everlasting disbelief, it was a figure he knew full well.

It was the Rescue armor.

Tony and Friday were both stunned speechless as she came to hover right behind Trenchcoat Guy and whacked him upside his ridiculous helmet with a loud metallic clang. As he turned, she pointed her hand repulsor at him.

“You touch them, you die,” she snarled threateningly.

“Hey, I thought we were friends!” Trenchcoat Guy lamented, holding a hand behind his head over the offended spot.

“We are if you don't shoot my _family!”_ Pepper retaliated.

“Your family!? The hell are you talking about!?”

“They have armors just like mine, don't you see!?” Pepper exploded, shrieking hysterically: “We all told you there was the chance that this ship had been highjacked, but nooo, you had to go in guns blazing and drop it without checking!”

Trenchcoat hesitated before turning towards Tony and Friday and noticing that they were indeed wearing armors just like hers: “...oh,” he said awkwardly. Only then, Pepper lowered her arm.

During the whole ordeal, Tony and Friday had been at a complete and utter loss of words.

Tony was floored. That was Pepper's armor... Pepper's voice...

That _was_ Pepper!

WHY was Pepper there!?

“What the FUCK!?” he roared as loud as he could.

***

The several Chitauri that were left on board the Sanctuary II were all slaughtered in less than five minutes, after Hela had freed Loki from his cell. Loki had followed her as she passed the halls of the ship, hurling her swords at the completely defenceless aliens.

She had killed them all in what could only be defined as a murderous rampage... but it was cold. Precise. Calculated. Each of her attacks were lethal and devastating, and it never took her more than one strike to drop an opponent. It was simply incredible.

He was still wondering what was going on. It looked like Hela was double-crossing Thanos... but why? Could he trust her?

Still, that was a question for a later time. She had set him free, after all.

They reached the command room. The few Chitauri there never stood a chance.

They fell like flies, struck by Hela's swords. The ship was theirs. And Loki hadn't needed to attack or even just defend himself a single time.

Hela reached for the commands and set the coordinates. The massive battleship’s engines came to life and the enormous craft started to move. Only then, Hela seemed to relax a little. Her shoulders sagged slightly and she leaned against a counter.

Loki couldn't keep silent any longer.

“Sister...” he called. The way Hela turned to him, leveling him with a scathing glare, almost shut him up again.

He gulped and steeled himself. He deserved to at least know what was happening, didn't he?

“Can... can you please tell me what is going on?” he asked.

Hela's eyes narrowed. Loki gulped again, but by now he had realized that her anger wasn't directed at him.

“What is going on, brother, is that Thanos’ goals no longer coincide with mine,” Hela said, without elaborating any further.

Loki didn't need her to. The relief that washed over him in that moment was impossibke to describe.

Hela had turned against Thanos. Maybe she wasn't exactly on his side, but she wasn't against him either.

Now, there was hope. Now, the Universe stood a chance.

And there was another thing: Hela was not going to allow herself to be used again.

Loki felt heartwarmed by that. Sure, this didn't mean she was going to listen to anything he had to say, but at least, his sister wouldn't suffer again because of someone trying to take advantage of her. He could work with that.

“Were are we headed?” he asked, trying to stay neutral in his questions.

“Where Thanos will strike next,” Hela replied, that murderous, terrifying tone back in her voice: “Xandar.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've seen Avengers Endgame. My opinion on it? Well, to paraphrase Nick Fury: I agree that Marvel has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it. To put it in simpler terms, FUCK THIS MOVIE.
> 
> They say the last of the five stages of grief is acceptance. Not for me: for me, it's refusal. Without delving into spoilers, I refuse to let a couple of Cap stans that answer to the names of Anthony and Joe Russo take such a monumental piss all over the last eleven years of my life. I refuse to agree with how desperately they fanboyed over Steve Rogers, and I refuse to acknowledge that ending.
> 
> What does it mean for this fic, and all my future fics going forward? Simple: It means nothing. Nothing has changed in my plans. I won't tell you what will happen in the second part of this story, of course, but I will tell you that you can forget Endgame ever existed. It's gonna be a completely different second part. Forget what happened, forget who lived and who died, forget that ending, forget that movie entierly.
> 
> The one silver lining in all of this is that, if anything, that movie has made me even more determined to fix the mess that the MCU has become. I feel more inspired to write. That sadly doesn't mean the next updates will come faster, RL is still a thing. But it does mean I have new ideas that I will hopefully get to write.
> 
> Sorry for the rant. See you next chapter!


	18. And Thou, Profoundest Hel...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...receive thy new possessor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of Wakanda has started. Pepper is reunited with her family on Xandar, and Hela and Loki talk.

Tony's brain felt like it was short-circuiting. Pepper was there, in the Rescue suit, bickering with the alien guy who had just attacked them. She had come out of his ship too. What, just _what,_ was going on!?

He just hovered there, completely shocked, as Pepper flew at him and Friday and tackled them both mid-air, hugging them with a loud clang as their armors collided and nearly causing them to fall to the ground.

“Are you alright?” she asked, her voice slightly broken.

Tony was still absolutely stunned, so it was Friday who replied: “Yes... We’re alright, mom...” she answered. Finally, Pepper released them, flying a little backwards ad retracting her helmet. her expression was a little livid.

"What the hell are you two doing here!?” she asked, no less angry then a few seconds earlier when she had grilled Trenchcoat Guy.

Tony spluttered as her removed his helmet as well: “What are _we_ doing here!? What are _you_ doing here!” he rebutted, “You should not be here-”

“No!? And where should I be, exactly!?” Pepper cut him off, “I get a warning from Jocasta telling me the Compound is under attack and that you and Friday have stowed away on an alien spaceship! What was I supposed to do, go to a church and pray you'd be alright!? Did you forget why I asked you to build me this suit in the first place? To protect my family!” she almost yelled.

“So instead, you... what, you took your suit and...” Tony stopped short, flustered like never before in his life: “And then what happened!? I don't fucking understand! _How the hell did you even get here!?”_ he shouted, completely exhasperated and slightly hysterical.

“Um, I gave her a lift...” Trenchcoat Guy interjected, raising his hand awkwardly.

Tony stopped for a second, breathing heavily as he assessed the man, who was still wearing that stupid helmet with the round, red eyes. He turned back to Pepper: “Who or what is that?” he asked, still shouting hysterically.

“Starlord,” the guy replied, “I mean, Peter Quill, but they call me Starlord... Sorry for attacking you...”

Friday was watching the whole scene silently from behind Tony. She was as shocked as he was at her mother’s impromptu appearance, but she gathered herself. She didn’t want her parents to argue, so she tried to interject: “Boss, your heart rate is way too high-"

“Not now, Friday!” Tony immediately shut her up. She winced and fell silent.

“Are you done up there!?”

They all looked down at the interruption. It was Strange that had spoken. With him, on the ground, were Peter and two other people Tony had never met: some dude with a... metallic red mohawk (whatever, he didn't even want to know) and a bald, blue-skinned woman with robotic parts and a very Winter Soldier-like prosthetic left arm (again, didn't want to know. Didn't care anymore).

“Quill, stop screwing around!” the blue woman shouted, “We have to get Gamora to a rescue station!”

“Who is Gamora?” Friday asked as they all landed. Instead of replying, Pepper hugged her again: “God,I'm so happy you're alright... I was terrified something bad had happened to the two of you...”

Friday decided not to insist any further. She just hugged her mother back.

***

Rhodey flew back to the front lines of the Wakandan army, regrouping with his team. The Avengers immediately noticed his grim expression as he landed.

“So, did they surrender?” asked the talking raccoon.

“Not exactly,” Rhodey admitted, turning again to face the invaders on the other side of the barrier.

His words immediately found confirmation.

All the transport crafts opened. From a distance, all that could be seen was a black wave of... Rhodey didn't know how to define them. They looked like mutated gorillas, with four arms and gaping mouths full of enormous fangs that were more like actual blades. They made horrific screeching sounds as they ran madly towards the barrier.

“...what the hell...” Paxton whispered in shock.

“Looks like we pissed them off,” Natasha supplied through gritted teeth.

Those things were terrifying.

They were thousands.

And they were charging.

When the first wave slammed against the barrier, they were burned by it. Killed by it. They fell by the dozens, by the hundreds, but they didn't stop their mad charge.

“They're killing themselves...” Okoye muttered disbelievingly.

She was right. These... these beasts, because that was what they were, kept throwing themselves mindlessly at the force field, without even trying to sidestep the cadavers of their brethren that had fallen in the first wave.

Everybody, in the ranks of the defenders of Wakanda, was unsettled. Paxton, Sharon and Wilson looked like they were about to throw up in their mouths. The others didn't look much better. Even Thor and Sif looked horrified, despite the thousands of years of battles they had between them.

It was a horribly gruesome spectacle... But it was starting to work.

At first, some of those abominations were able to shove an arm, or a leg, or their heads, past the barrier, only to have it promptly sliced off by the force field. Then, a couple of them came as far as pushing half their bodies through.

And then, through their sheer numbers, some finally managed to push past the force field.

It was only a few of them, maybe one in twenty, badly burned by the forcefield and in some cases barely alive, dragging themselves forward on their arms, that had managed to pass the barrier, but their number was slowly increasing.

Barton was the first to open fire. He drew an explosive arrow and fired it at a group of three of those beasts that were racing towards their ranks, cackling in satisfaction as it exploded and blew the three beasts to pieces. Almost everyone else in the first row followed suit.

This was looking poor. The number of those freaky beasts that were managing to pass the barrier was slowly increasing, and Rhodey immediately noticed that many of them were running around the dome.

“They’re circling the barrier... if they manage to break through behind us, there's nothing between them and Vision...” Sharon said, having noticed the same thing.

“You're right,” Rhodey agreed, “Disgusting as it sounds, we should try to keep them in front of us...”

“How do we do that?” Okoye asked.

“We will open the barrier,” T'Challa answered grimly. Before anyone could reply, the king raised a hand to his earpiece: “On my signal, open sector Seventeen North-East,” he commanded.

“This will be the end of Wakanda,” M’Baku commented in a small voice.

Okoye's eyes narrowed in almost fanatic determination: “Then it will be the noblest ending in history,” she replied.

T’Challa stepped forward. The helmet of his suit appeared over his head.

“Wakanda forever!” he shouted as a narrow path opened in the protective dome. Then, it was chaos.

The entire Wakandan Army, rallied by their king's battle cry, started charging at the disgusting aliens, but it was Rhodey who engaged first, taking off as soon as the barrier had opened and flying up to the charging beasts. The narrow opening in the force field created a bottleneck where Thanos' forces were crawling on top of each other in their mad rush to attack. That was where he trained all his weapons.

The alien freaks of nature fell by the hundreds to his guns, his missiles and his repulsors. And yet, to him it felt like an exercise in complete futility.

Tens of thousands more were running thorugh the opening, flooding the battlefield like a tidal wave. The Wakandans were no less eager, rushing madly into battle, hungry for blood.

The clash between the two formations was terrifying. Warriors and beasts started falling everywhere, humans and aliens fighting to the death in a desperate battle, the invaders determined to destroy every resistance, and the defenders refusing to give them one inch of ground.

Three miles away, from a floor-to-ceiling window in the forty-third floor of the Wakandan Royal Palace, where Princess Shuri's lab was located, Carol Danvers was observing the onslaught with narrowed eyes and clenched fists.

“How much longer, guys?” she asked. Helen and Shuri didn't divert their attention from Vision, lying on the table with his face pinched in both pain and nervousness. It was Bruce who answered: “We've just started, Colonel...”

Carol clenched her fists tighter: “You might want to pick up the pace,” she said grimly.

***

The Sanctuary II was cruising towards Xandar at flank speed. The destination was only nine jump points away, but almost all of them were at a considerable distance from one another. Thanos' flagship was imposing, and very fast for its size, but it would still take a while for it to reach the capital of the Nova Empire.

In the meantime, a heavy silence was reigning aboard the battleship. A silence that one of the only two people left on board was not very comfortable with.

It was weird. Normally Loki flourished in silence. It gave him time to plan, to study his opponents and his allies alike. But Hela... he was hesitant to use his normal tactics on her. Firstly because she scared him half to death, and secondly... because for the first time in what felt like forever, he wanted to build a relationship with someone, that wasn't built on lies and deception.

Knowing him, people might have thought that he only wanted such a thing for his own, personal advantage, but it wasn't like that.

He looked at his sister, and he saw so much of himself. The bitterness she exuded was the same he had felt for eons, stewing in Thor and Odin's shadow.

They were not related by blood, but for him Hela was more akin to family than anyone else had ever been. Even more than Frigga, in a sense. Because Frigga had loved him, yes, but while she had known Loki would always be the lesser brother in Odin's eyes, she had never tried to make the Allfather give him a chance. She had been there for Loki, but only to console him when he was put down. Never to stand up for him.

Hela, on the other hand... Hela had risen above it all. She too had not been enough for Odin... or perhaps, she had been too much. It didn't matter: Odin had looked at her and found her inadequate.

But Hela hadn't lowered her head. Hela had fought. Like him, Hela had rebeled against her father's impossible expectations. And she had very nearly won.

“What are you looking at!?”

Her gruff question made Loki jump a little. He hadn't realized he had been staring.

“I-I'm sorry sister... I... I must have spaced out,” he apologized.

She scoffed: “Are you going to space out out again when we are in front of Thanos? I thought you could prove useful, but maybe I shouldn't have bothered...”

The thinly veiled threat set him even more on edge than he already was, but this time Loki managed to avoid any involuntary reaction: “I won't falter in front of my enemy, sister. I swear it to you,” he told her resolutely.

“You swear,” Hela scoffed again, “From what I heard, your word doesn't hold much weight,” she muttered, loud enough for Loki to hear.

Silence returned after that. Loki felt at a loss: he wasn't going anywhere with her and, worse, he didn't know where to start to actually have a normal conversation. She just didn't seem interested.

In the end, he decided that the last thing she had said was as good a topic as any. “You seem to know a great deal about me...” he considered, leaving the phrase purposefully open.

“One will always find it useful to know one's enemies,” Hela answered, flatly, vaguely and rhetorically.

Loki's shoulders sagged: “I'm not your enemy, sister,” he assured her.

“Of course not, if you know what's good for you,” was the biting response.

“I mean it,” Loki protested, having suddenly found some sliver of his resolve. He had to convince her, he had to make sure she knew he had her back. That he wasn't just sticking with her because she could protect him from Thanos: “I am not going to betray you... and not only because I will never be in Thanos' good graces ever again. I will not betray you because I know what you have been through.”

Hela slowly turned her gaze on him. She looked utterly unimpressed, but that was already one better than her murderous expression from earlier.

It was clear to Loki at this point that sincerity was the way to go. Maybe if he started to share, Hela would finally open up a bit and possibly do the same.

“Odin lied to me,” he started to recount, “He made me believe I was of his blood, like you and Thor. He kept my true heritage hidden and would never have told me the truth had I not found out on my own. He betrayed me, just like he betrayed you.”

He paused, waiting to see if his words caused a reaction. Hela was difficult to read.

She looked conflicted. For a few moments, she looked like she was debating with herself whether to indulge him, dismiss him or slice his head off. In the end, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, plopping down on one of the various chairs that were on the bridge, facing him.

“Yes, brother. Odin betrayed me, like he did you,” she started, “The difference lies in the entity of the betrayal.”

Loki felt himself relax a little. _Finally,_ he was starting to mellow her out a bit. He had to be cautious now, but he decided to insist a little.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Hela slowly leaned forward, her eyes narrowed into slits: “Do you think that when he realized I was too powerful for him to handle, he just got the jump on me and sealed me in Hel?” she asked rhetorically.

Loki didn't answer. Slowly Hela reached for the collar of her battle suit with both hands, lowering it to expose her neck.

Loki's eyes bulged.

A jagged, ugly scar was hidden under the hem of her collar, running horizontally across Hela's throat.

It covered almost half of her neck, ending practically right under her ears. It should have been a mortal wound.

“He tried to kill me,” Hela supplied, “He would have succeeded too, were I not immortal.”

***

Hela was laying supine on the ground, her throat slit and a big pool of blood rapidly growing under her head and shoulders despite her holding a hand around her neck, pressed on the wound, uselessly trying to stop the bleeding.

The arching, golden ceiling of the Bifrost watchtower, at the end of the Rainbow Brige, was filling her vision. She could see the stars in the evening sky, through the slit in the golden dome that formed the tower. Those same stars she had dreamed to conquer to make her father proud.

Odin was looking down at her in disgust, taking in her bulging, scared eyes and the wet noise of her ragged and strangled breaths, suffocated by her own blood that was starting to fill her airways and lungs. She was clutching her sliced throat with one hand, and with the other she was fisting the hem of his red cape, as if pleading for his help. As if he wasn't the one who was killing her.

He had summoned her to the Bifrost, telling her to come alone. She had obliged him immediately, eager to please him as always. But the moment she had arrived, smiling at him like a puppy wagging his tail, he had raised his golden spear and slashed at her throat, without even uttering a word.

_Why... Father... Why are you doing this to me?_

His expression hardened as his eyes locked with Hela's tear-filled and pleading ones. His anger and disappointment was the last thing she saw clearly, before her vision became too blurry.

“Still you live, daughter? Again, you defy me?” he spat.

What was he talking about? Hela had never defied him! Even after realizing she was no more than a tool to him, she had remained loyal! She knew her time would come once he was gone, why would she defy him!? How could he recuse her and betray her so callously!?

“You truly were magnificent,” Odin scoffed, “so much unbrindled power in you, not even allowing you to die to such a wound... It seems you truly are immortal, after all...”

Hela let out a pitiful, rasped, strangled whimper before coughing up blood. Her strenght was starting to wane, and she couldn't breathe. For the first time in her life, doubt got the best of her.

If she was immortal, why was she feeling so powerless, so utterly helpless? Why did she feel like she was dying?

Odin had told her of her mother, of the vision she had had, of the Soul Stone. He had told her of her prophetized destiny of bringing balance to the Universe. He had told her all those things as soon as Hela had been old enough to understand them.

He had told her he had sensed her power, and that he believed she was immortal. But in that moment, Hela was truly fearing for her life.

She didn't even know what to focus on. The overwhelming helplessness in her pitiful state, the desperation and betrayal she felt at Odin's cowardice for his heinous gesture, or the crushing fear that this was really the end.

“No matter,” Odin continued, “If your soul doesn't want to rest, I'll just send it to Hel with your body still attached to it...” he declared, ripping his cape off her pleading hand and walking off.

Hela’s tears were falling freely from her eyes now. She could see him in her peripheral, walking towards the pedestal of the Bifrost and placing his spear in it. Moments later, the multicoloured light of the rainbow bridge threatened to blind her, as she started to feel the horrible, horrible sensation of weightlessness as she was taken away by the Rainbow Bridge.

And then, it all disappeared.

There was no more light, no more noises and no more warmth. Hela had fallen in the neverending abyss of Helheim, the Realm of the Dead, darker than the blackest void and colder than outer space. But the thing that was scaring her the most was the all-encompassing silence: the only thing Hela could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat, slowing down more and more as the blood loss finally overwhelmed her system.

The deed was done. Odin had completed his betrayal.

She felt her consciousness slip. She was done for. Defeated.

Betrayed by her own father. A father she had loved, who had first used her and then ruthlessly disposed of her when she had outlived her usefulness.

More tears fell from her eyes, as Asgard's fallen princess plummeted to her doom.

It wasn't fair... She had done nothing to deserve this!

But she wasn't facing the ultimate punishment for the things she had done. She was being cast out - she was being _killed_ \- for what she was: a being so powerful that Odin feared he couldn't handle her forever. It was even worse.

All her life, she had strived to please her father. To be the weapon he had always desired. She didn't need Thanos' words to realize that she was nothing more to him than that: a weapon. It was what she was born for. It was what the Soul Stone had bestowed upon her.

Thanos' words were an old tale to her.

She had met the Mad Titan while waging war on Alfheim. He was there to do what he usually did: halve the population of the worlds he visited before taking off for the next planet. But Alfheim had already been under siege by Asgard's army, under Hela's direct command.

She had readied herself to deal with the Titan too, but he had already witnessed her ruthlessness and violence in battle. She had made an impression on him. He had assured her that he meant no harm. Quite the opposite, that he could be of use to her. Hela had ordered him to leave at once, or face her wrath.

When Thanos had tried to convince her that Odin was using her, and that it should be her on the throne, she had laughed in his face. She had told him she was what her father had made her, and she had no problems with that. She was going to serve him, and one day she would succeed to him, and by then the Universe at large would already know of the Goddess of Death.

Back then, she had been young. Naive. Back then, she had admired Odin. She had loved him.

Odin had wanted her. Had wanted the ultimate weapon. But he feared that the weapon would grow out of his control, so he... punished her for it.

She hadn't chosen or asked to be born. She didn't have control over what she was. Nobody did.

Why was she being punished for it?

Her left hand, the one which had clutched Odin's cape in an unheard plea of help even after he had raised his blade against her, closed in a fist.

She was mortally wounded, and she knew it. Her supposed immortality had never been put to the test before, and now that it was, she was terrified.

But she swore something to herself.

If it was true... If she truly _was_ immortal...

...then she would have her vengeance.

Her disgraced father was going to regret his madness. No matter how, no matter how long it would take, she was going to make him pay.

***

Loki collapsed on another chair, right in front of his sister.

He couldn't keep his hands from shaking in fury. Never before had he felt such anger on behalf of someone else.

He gritted his teeth. Norns, Hela was right. What he himself had had to endure at Odin's hands was nothing compared to what that vermin had done to her.

He looked down: “The Valkyrie we met on Sakaar, she told us you had rebeled against Odin... that you massacred everyone in the Palace before he could stop you...” he said, his voice broken by all his conflicting emotions.

Hela scoffed, as if she expected such a lie. She relaxed visibly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

“None of it was true, was it?” Loki continued.

Hela shook her head wearily: “The Valkyries were taken from their families when they were little more than toddlers. After that, they were trained to pledge their lives to one, single purpose: to serve the Throne. Those who showed anything less than complete and absolute devotion to Odin were sacrificed. Those who remained were fanatics. I'm not surprised in the least to hear that every lie Odin fed her, she ate with a spoon.”

“But she escaped to Sakaar. She never came back,” Loki reasoned.

“And she has my respect for that,” Hela countered, “It's not easy to recognize a manipulation as radical and finely crafted as Odin's, especially after being indoctrinated to worship him. It took me almost dying to snap out of it. And yet, for all that she claimed to have recused the Throne, she was rather quick to jump at our brother's service, was she not?”

Loki lowered his head again.

Could it be?

Brunnhilde seemed like such a strong-willed woman. He was sure that many factors had played into her decision to aid Thor in his escape from Sakaar... one of them being her lust for vengeance against Hela. But could it really be that another of those reasons was that she viewed Thor as Asgard's rightful ruler and felt she had an oath to honor?

“You are the one who slaughtered the Valkyries...” Loki said.

Hela crossed her arms as she resumed her story: “After Odin tried to kill me and threw me in Hel... I don't know how long it took me to come to. I woke in complete darkness, I couldn't see at thing or hear a sound. I couldn't even feel the ground under my feet. Hel is an abyss, a place of rest, only spirits should inhabit it... I wandered aimlessly for what felt like eons, before I found a way out.”

Loki was stunned: “A way out of Helheim?” he asked.

He knew nothing about Hel. His teachers, in Asgard, had believed that it was a realm that existed outisde of space and time.

“The _only_ way out of Helheim,” his sister confirmed.

“...which is?” he asked softly.

“The Nine Realms are interconnected. There are paths in and out of them, that head from a realm to another. Each of them is connected to all of the others, unlike all the other worlds in the cosmos. Hel isn't connected to all the other realms though. There is only one physical passage. A passage that leads to Niflheim.”

“Niflheim...” Loki repeated.

The Realm of Fog. Another mysterious, unknown world, like Helheim itself. Loki remembered studying the Nine Realms when he had been a young child eager to learn. Asgard's libraries had next to nothing on that world.

He wondered if Odin hadn't destroyed all the knowledge about that mysterious realm in an effort to make sure nobody ever knew of Hela's existence.

After all...

“That's where you fought the Valkyries... You fought them in Niflheim, didn't you?” he wanted to know.

Hela looked slightly to the side, as she reminisced.

“The Bifrost Guardian. He was appointed some time after Odin tried to kill me... Heimdall, was it? I believe he saw me emerge from the void and dutifully warned his king. So Odin sent the Valkyries to put me back in the hole. He had already told them that I was a crazy monster who needed to be put down. He had painted himself as the protector of Asgard, forced to slain his own disgraced daughter for the good of his people. The Valkyries didn't even let me speak. They just attacked. So I took the only course of action that was left for me: I defended myself.”

Loki felt sick. How could Odin be so callous? How could Loki had ever believed him to be a decent man?

How could he have done such horrible things to his own daughter?

Hela chuckled without humor: “There was a silver lining, however...”

Loki raised an eyebrow: “A silver lining? What silver lining could there possibly be in such an ordeal?”

Hela smirked, uncrossing her arms and summoning a black dagger in her right hand. Loki jumped in fear.

“Worry not, brother,” Hela reassured him, “I do not intend to harm you. I merely want to give you a small demonstration...”

With that, she placed the tip of the blade on the plam of her left hand, and thrusted the dagger down. Loki spluttered in surprise as the blade pierced clean through her hand, before she dragged it up her forearm, cutting skin, muscle and bone and ripping the sleeve and arm guard of her suit.

Loki wanted to shout at her to stop, but he was stunned into silence. Not a single drop of blood was falling from the gaping wound, which was instead glowing a faint orange.

Hela yanked the blade out of her arm only after reaching the elbow. The massive wound kept glowing for a few seconds before it started to restrict and close. The orange glow faded away and in its wake, only pale, unblemished skin could be seen, as if the wound had never been there.

Loki gaped at her as Hela held her completely unhurt arm up for him to see. Only the rip in her sleeve remained to show the blade's passage: “It seems the old saying is true: what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger,” she commented with a smile, as she fixed her sleeve and arm guard with a simple magic spell.

“H-How...” Loki stuttered.

“I almost died at Odin's hands,” Hela replied, “My body reacted to it. Something inside me awakened. Ever since I recovered from this,” she said, raising her head pointing at the scar on her throat, now again concealed by her suit, “my wounds heal in the blink of an eye, no matter how serious or extensive they are. It's almost as if that fatal wound is what truly made me immortal... As you can imagine, the Valkyries were in for quite the surprise.”

Loki was awed. And he even felt slightly vindicated on Hela's behalf. That fool Odin had tried to kill her, and he had only given her more power.

***

Accelerated healing was not, however, the only thing Hela had acquired after Odin had tried to kill her.

Stephen was deep in thought, the Eye of Agamotto glowing on his chest, as the Time Stone showed him the Battle of Niflheim.

One thousand Valkyries had charged from every direction, and the Goddess of Death had never even backed down an inch. Her signature black swords soared through the air, carving into her opponent's ranks. Until one of them actually managed to come close enough.

The valkyrie slashed with her sword and Hela parried it with her left forearm, the blade clanging uselessly against Hela's arm guard. Then, something unexpected happened.

Hela reached out with her free arm and grabbed the woman by the throat, lifting her from the ground, probably intent on strangling her or straight-out snap her neck. But the woman let out an animalistic scream as her body suddenly lit in green flames.

Even the Goddess was left stunned. She dropped the other warrior, who slumped on the ground still engulfed in emerald flames, and kept burning until no trace of her body was left.

At first, Stephen hadn't realized what was happening. But in that moment, he sensed Odin's sudden, abject terror.

The Allfather had been sitting pretty in Asgard, annoyed more than anything. Disappointed that his finest warriors, the Valkyries, were being slaughtered by a single person and mildly bothered at the perspective of having to go and fix the problem himself.

But, when he saw Hela burn that valkyrie, body and soul at the same time, he rose from his throne at once, summoning his eight-legged steed and rushing towards the Bifrost. He was still healing after having lost an eye on Jotunheim, and was watching the battle unfold from his throne, but as soon as he saw Hela burn that valkyrie down just with her touch he rushed to the fight.

When he arrived, Hela had already finished off all the Valkyries. But at that point, she didn't have enough gas left in the tank to face him too.

Back then, Odin was still stronger than her, and Hela was blinded by rage just from seeing his face.

They fought, and he defeated her... but he couldn't kill her, so he sealed her in Hel, binding the seal with his very life force.

Odin had been terrified when he has seen Hela kill that warrior with a single touch. In that moment, it had seemed that all his worse fears had come true.

That one valkyrie wasn't just dead: without even realizing it, Hela had claimed her soul and destroyed it with a simple touch.

Stephen didn't know how it had been possible, or why she had never used that power again when she had resurfaced. It was possible that she could only do that in Niflheim: that realm was deeply connected with the Realm of the Dead, Helheim. Maybe Hela could only draw that kind of power when she was close to her domain...

“Strange?”

Stephen turned, seeing Tony's concerned eyes: “You with us, Doc?”

“I... Yeah,” the sorcerer answered, “What's going on?”

Tony turned to look at the sky: “Looks like Starlord is a big shot around here,” he responded, “He got us an audience with the higher-ups. Come on, we have to go.”

Stephen nodded and followed Tony towards what looked like a cargo airship of some sort, with the emblem of the Nova Empire was emblazoned on its side.

He looked down at the Eye of Agamotto. He didn't know what to make of all the new informations he had gathered yet, but one thing was for sure: the Ancient One was right.

In this conundrum, Hela was one of the most important variables.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, a couple of clarifications:
> 
> In Thor: Ragnarok, Hela receives wounds that should be fatal even for Asgardians at least twice: the first time when she slaughters all the Einherjar, a soldier impales her clean through her abdomen: we see his sword protruding from her solar plexus. Two seconds later, that soldier is dead, and she's perfectly fine, not even her clothes are ripped. The second time is when she fights Thor: he stabs her through the heart with Odin's spear, and the wound just glows for a couple of seconds before disappearing, again doing jack shit to her aside from maybe pissing her off a little more. In this story, she gets this absurd healing factor once she almost died at Odin's hands. Basically, that's the one time when her immortality was really stress-tested, and it made her much more resilient than she was before. Now, she is practically invulnerable.
> 
> About the difference between Helheim (or just Hel) and Niflheim: remember in the movie, when she first appears out of that black cloud before thor and Loki? That's Helheim. In this story I interpreted it so that the green light in that portal is actually her own power, flaring after Odin's death removed the seal and literally ripping a portal open for her to escape the abyss.
> 
> Later, on Sakaar, Loki uses a spell to make Brunnhilde relive her worst memory (which gives me Wanda vibes I really don't care for, but whatever). We see her leading the Valkyries against Hela in a rocky world with a foggy, cloudy sky: that's Niflheim. It is one of the Nine Realms, the only one from which Helheim can be physically accessed.
> 
> BTW, should I tag this story 'Not Odin Friendly'? I feel like I should tag this story 'Not Odin Friendly'...

**Author's Note:**

> So, it's on. Shit is getting real >:-).
> 
> Supergiant is a member of the Black Order (the other woman in this story besides Proxima Midnight) who for some reason was not in the movie. I think she'd be a cool addition though, so here she is :-)


End file.
